For the Love of Emmett
by Juze
Summary: Best friends Bella and Alice come up with a plan to get exactly what they want. Too bad it all goes wrong. AH Canon pairings. Made top 5 in the Indie Twific Awards for Best Love Triangle
1. The Plan

_Disclaimer--I do not own Twilight or it's characters, only my interpretations of them. This goes for all subsequent chapters._

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 1—The Plan**

It was amazing, really, how such little effort it took to silence an entire cafeteria. All he had to do was walk through the door, and the eyes of every female followed him with varying degrees of lust and admiration.

Two pairs of eyes, one brown and one blue, followed him as intently as everyone else's.

"God, he looks good today," sighed Brown eyes.

"He looks good every day. Do you think he got a haircut? It looks different today," responded Blue.

"No, I think he just styled it differently. See, he gelled it instead of leaving it messy."

"Right," sighed Blue. "He does look good today, but I think I miss the mussed look."

"I don't," Brown retorted, sullenly. "At least now he doesn't look like he was just making out with _her_." She glared at the blonde holding his hand. Rosalie. She hated her, simply because she was able to do what Brown desperately wanted to but was unable. She wondered if Rosalie even knew how fortunate she was to be with him. Judging from the smile that never faded, she did. Damn.

A boisterous laugh rippled across the cafeteria, shaking her out of her thoughts. Her eyes automatically shot to the object of her affection and the source of the noise. Emmett Cullen. Her heart clenched at the sight of his head thrown back in enjoyment over something said at his table. A longing to be the one to incite one of his laughs coursed through her.

"This has to stop, Bella." Blue suddenly said, firmly placing both hands on the table to emphasize her point. She looked over at her best friend in confusion, the conversation taking a dramatic turn.

"What do you mean?"

"We need to stop dreaming about him. We need to stop just staring at him and actually do something! It's senior year. If we don't do something now, we won't be able to once he leaves for college."

"Alice, it's senior year. He's been with Rosalie for the past three years. What can we possibly do now that we haven't tried before?" Bella attempted to voice some reason. She thought back to all of the attempts that they had made over the last four years.

The realization that they were both in love with the same guy tested their friendship during freshman year. It was only their loyalty and love towards each other that prevented a falling out. Instead, they decided that whomever Emmett chose, the other would do her best to be happy for her friend.

They began by simply gravitating towards him, trying to learn as much as they could through proximity as he talked to other people. They each tried to help the other shine by laughing and talking a bit too loudly about topics they knew he was in to whenever he was nearby. Their efforts were rewarded by the occasional instances of him sending a smile their way or picking up on their topic and discussing it further with his friends.

Their plan of slowly bringing him into their conversations was foiled midway through freshman year. That was when _she_ transferred to their school. Within one week, she had Emmett wrapped around her little finger. By the end of the month, it was official. Emmett Cullen was off the market.

The girls responded with their first plan. If Emmett could be made to realize how truly unworthy Rosalie was, maybe his eyes would be opened to them. They started by subtly spreading around rumors that Rosalie was forced to transfer because she was expelled. They tried to slip in that she was expelled for delinquency, but finals proved that she was an exemplary student.

The next plan was to make Rosalie appear mentally unstable. They made up stories of seeing her flipping out at a store or restaurant, of her going off on her parents, and (their personal favorite), of witnessing her stalking Emmett while he was home or at football practice. Unfortunately, she was so sweet that the rumors were generally disregarded. They even saw Emmett laughing loudly out of disbelief one time after being told one of the rumors. After that, they decided to try another tactic. Fortunately, they both looked so innocent that no one knew that they were the generators of the rumors. A lifetime of practice had granted the girls the ability to subtly give out information in such a way that the hearer could never really remember where they heard their information; they simply thought that they had known it all along.

Their next strategy was to become associated with Rosalie. They both tried out, and made, the cheerleading squad at the beginning of their sophomore year. Rosalie was made team captain. Once again, she had beaten out the girls without even realizing she was in a competition with them. With a lot of practice, Bella and Alice were actually pretty decent at dancing, though neither could truly compare to the natural grace and ability embodied in Rosalie.

Making the squad was worth the effort, as Emmett would often come to watch their practice. Everyone on the team put forth a greater effort when he was there. Even Rosalie noticed, though she was oblivious as to the reason why. She assumed that it was simply having an audience, not the specificity of who was in the audience.

Despite their best efforts, however, they were never able to get particularly close to Rosalie. She tended to spend time with Emmett, and only a handful of others. Everyone else was simply an acquaintance in her mind.

Because of these and many other attempts to be noticed by the famous Cullen, Bella was not truly surprised when Alice announced that she had a new plan. She was, however, surprised at the next word that came out of Alice's mouth.

"Edward."

"What about him?"

"Edward is our in."

"Edward _Cullen_? How in the world is he our in?" Bella stared at her in confusion.

"Think about it. He's Emmett's little brother, and Emmett adores him. They are always hanging out together. Whoever dates Edward would probably spend a lot of time around Emmett too. With that kind of proximity, it would only be a matter of time before he realized how much better she is than the skank he's with now."

"Why would Emmett go for Edward's girlfriend? And who the heck would date Edward anyway? Have you seen him lately? Yech!"

"I know, he's not the hottest thing around, but he may have some potential."

They both looked over at Emmett's table at the smaller male next to him. His hair was long and shaggy, as if he hadn't bothered to brush or cut it in much too long of a time frame. His clothes were baggy, likely hand-me-downs from his muscular brother. Square black frames hid his one redeeming feature as they obscured the brilliant green that hid behind them.

"Potential?" Bella quirked her eyebrow. Edward was everything that Emmett wasn't. Why would any girl in her right mind want to go out with him?

"At least he has pretty eyes," Alice shrugged. "But that's not the point right now. The point is, one of us needs to get him to go out with us. Then, the other can tag along whenever Emmett is around. He's bound to start getting interested in one of us."

"Okay, assume for a minute that we try this. How do we decide who has to date the nerd?"

"Same way we always do?"

Bella sighed. "Fine. You know, we really need to think of a new way to do these things. We might be getting a bit too old for these games."

"Who said this was a game?" Alice quipped, as they both settled in for their contest. Brown eyes met blue as each willed their lids to stay open. After a few minutes, which felt like hours, their eyes were beginning to tear. The image of Emmett's little brother gave Bella the will to keep here eyes open past the point when her body ached for her to close them. A sudden gust of wind hit her eyes and she blinked reactively.

"Hah! You blinked!"

"No fair! The wind hit me! Come on, best two out of three?"

"No way, Swan! You know the rules." Alice leaned back and folded her arms in victory as Bella hung her head down in defeat. The rules of the staring contest were as simple and concrete as when they were first established in second grade. First one to blink loses. No exceptions, no do-overs.

"Fine," she huffed. "So what exactly do I need to do?"

"Simple. Just get Edward to start dating you. Then, hang out with him and Emmett a lot, and have me hang out with you too, of course."

"Irritating pixie. You are so lucky you're cute."

"You love me and you know it. Now, put on your 'Swan charm' and go knock the socks off of that boy."

Bella assembled her face into a cunning smile as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Time to head to Biology, which she just so happened to have with Edward. "Look out, Eddie boy. You are going to have no idea what hit you."


	2. Step One

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 2—Step One**

Edward shuffled into Biology with his head down, just the same as always. The class after lunch always seemed the worst. Lunch was the one time during school that he felt normal and accepted. He knew that it was due to his brother. Emmett had a way of making everyone around him feel loved and accepted. He drew people to him like bugs to light. They swarmed around him, caught up in his glow.

Edward knew that he was the exact opposite of his brother. Where Emmett drew people in, Edward repelled them. Emmett was the natural athlete; Edward was clumsy enough to warrant being classified as a hazard. Girls drooled all over Emmett, but most hardly even knew Edward was alive.

It was for these reasons that Edward was caught off guard by the smile Bella sent him as he walked in to the classroom. His step faltered in confusion. Why in the world was she smiling at him? She had never smiled at him before. _No_ girl had smiled at him before.

Bella's smile widened as she saw the surprise register in his face. This might be even easier than she had thought.

"Hey, Edward," she purred as he passed her on the way to his desk.

His eyes widened as he attempted to come up with a coherent response.

"H-hey." Fortunately for him, their teacher started class, so he was able to escape to his desk two rows behind her. Why in the world had she said 'hi' to him? Should he have said more than just 'hey' back? Why hadn't he said anything else to her? His next thought stopped him cold. What would Emmett have done?

He knew without thinking too hard exactly what Emmett would have done. Emmett would have smiled back and started a conversation with her. Emmett would have been smooth. He wouldn't have stuttered a response and then run away like him. Edward's shoulders slumped. He would never be like his brother. He knew he could never measure up.

But maybe…maybe he _could_ try to be more like him. His head lifted at the thought, and his shoulders subconsciously straightened. Maybe he could just _pretend_ to act a bit more like his older brother. Maybe he should make himself a WWED? sticker: 'What Would Emmett Do?' He laughed a bit at himself at the thought.

He looked over at the brunette two rows ahead of him, and caught her looking over her shoulder at him. His breath caught as she winked at him. Holy cow! _Bella Swan_ had just winked at him! The rest of the class disappeared as he began planning his next encounter with her, when he would put on his best Emmett impersonation.

Unknown to him, Bella was undergoing similar musings. Somehow, she had to get Edward to ask her out on a date. This was normally not a problem, but she knew how shy he was. Edward was not like the rest of the idiots at the school (Emmett excluded, of course) who kept asking her out as if they thought they had a chance with her. When she had winked at Edward earlier, Mike who sat just behind him had caught her. She saw the way his face had lit up. The idiot had thought she had been winking at _him_. Yeah right! Then again, she never thought she'd have to stoop to wink at _Edward_ either before a few hours ago.

The bell pulled both of them out of their thoughts at the end of class.

"_Showtime._"

Bella strolled towards Edward's desk, utilizing the natural sway that the heels she wore gave her hips. Edward was still putting his last books into his bag when she sat at the edge of his desk, leaning on one hand.

"Hey, Edward." His eyes snapped up at her voice, and widened when he saw how close she was.

_Come on, Edward. Think! What would Emmett say?!? _At the last thought, he felt himself suddenly calm. He felt himself putting on the persona of his older brother. It was no different from acting in drama class.

"Hey Bella," he smiled. "How has your day been?" Inwardly he congratulated himself for keeping it casual and cool, unlike his earlier attempt.

"My day is good now." She sent him a seductive smirk, and Edward felt his face warm as understanding of her meaning slowly dawned on him. Behind him, he heard the scraping of a chair as a dejected Mike left the classroom. He had no idea why Mike was acting that way, but decided he really didn't care and shrugged it off.

"So, any big plans this weekend?" This was one of the questions he had come up with during class. As it was Friday, he was sure she'd have plans to go to some party or something, and maybe he could get her to start talking about that.

"Not really," she shrugged. Tyler was having a party that night, but she knew that Emmett always went out on a date night with Rosalie on Fridays, and there was no point attending a party that he was not going to attend. As for the rest of the weekend, she was now devoting that time to her new scheme.

"Yeah? I would have thought that you'd be going to Tyler's party." Tyler had come by their table at lunch to invite Emmett and Rosalie. Edward was, of course, disregarded.

"Nah, I'm not really into the whole party thing. I'd rather just be with people I know instead of a bunch of drunk morons."

Edward couldn't help the small laugh of surprise and disbelief that escaped him. Bella and her friend Alice were among the most popular girls in school. To think that she didn't like parties was almost inconceivable.

"You don't believe me?" she challenged as they headed o their next classes.

"Let's just say that I find it hard to imagine you not feeling comfortable in a big group."

"I never said I wasn't comfortable, I just said I didn't prefer it," she responded a bit harsher than she intended. This was not going according to plan. He was supposed to be groveling and stuttering, not provoking her into revealing more than she had anticipated. The truth was that she never really liked being in large groups. She went to parties because of Alice and in the hopes of maybe getting close to Emmett, but she had meant what she said about having a preference for small groups. Her ability to work a room was a skill that had painstakingly been mastered over the last several years. Who did this guy think he was, to assume that he knew her so well? He didn't know anything about her. And who was he anyway? He was nothing but a stepping-stone to his brother. The thought of his brother brought her mind back to her reason for talking to him in the first place. Taking a deep calming breath, she refocused and gave him a dazzling smile.

"So, what do you have planned for this weekend?"

Edward felt his heart jump as the force of her smile hit him. For a moment, his mind blanked before he realized that she was waiting for him to answer her question.

"Umm…nothing much. Just homework, I guess." _Stupid!_ He inwardly slapped himself upside his head. _Now you've just confirmed that you're a loser with no life!_

"Well, Alice and I were thinking of going shopping tomorrow at the mall. Maybe you should swing by." Bella was satisfied that Edward was flustered with her trademark smile. She normally wouldn't have dropped such an obvious hint, but they had almost reached her class, and she really didn't want to have to try and catch him after school.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe." Edward's mind raced as he tried to think about what had prompted her sudden invitation. He was still trying to figure it out when she said 'goodbye' to him at her door. He mumbled a similar parting as he passed her class to head off to his own.

What the heck had just happened?

*****

"Hey, Ed! What's with the face? Did someone ask you what the average air speed velocity of an unladen swallow was or something?" Emmett started cracking up at his own joke as Edward made his way towards the jeep.

"Funny, Em. You're a comic genius," Edward deadpanned back to him.

Something in his face sobered Emmett to the realization that there really was something on his brother's mind.

"What's up? Something happen?" Emmett knew that his brother was often picked on, despite his best efforts to teach him self-defense. He was a bright kid, skipping a grade so that he was the same grade level as his older brother, but he was a social idiot.

"Bella Swan talked to me today."

Emmett's eyebrows drew together as he tried to match a face to the name, then rose with realization. "The cheerleader?" he clarified. He had a vague recollection of a brunette who was always paired with a short dark-haired girl at Rosalie's practices.

"Yeah," Edward confirmed.

"So, what did she say?"

"She kind of invited me to go to the mall with her and her friend tomorrow."

"Really? That's great!" It was about time some girl realized how cool his little brother was. Then he thought back to his words. "Wait, what do you mean 'kind of'?"

"Well, she said she planned on going to the mall with Alice and that I should go."

"Did she say what time?"

"Umm, no."

"Store?"

"No." Edward was starting to feel really stupid. His mind had twisted her words into her asking him on a pseudo-date when in fact she may have just been telling him he needed new clothes. _Idiot! As if she'd really be into _you.

Just then, he heard a lilting voice call his name from across the parking lot.

"Edward!" Bella called as she drew closer to the Cullen boys. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you earlier. Alice and I were planning on meeting at Abercrombie and Fitch around ten, if you still wanted to join us." With that, she continued towards her car, not waiting for his response, tossing a smile and a wink over her shoulder at both of them.

"Dude!" Emmett's playful punch to his shoulder snapped Edward out of his daze. "She's cute. Way to go, little bro!" Emmett was still chuckling as they both got in their car and headed home.

By the time Rosalie came by a few hours late for her date with Emmett, Edward had processed what had happened and was now thoroughly freaking out.

"What the heck do I say to her, Em? What if I say something stupid? What if I can't think of anything to say? What if…"

"Dude, relax!" Emmett laughed. "It's just shopping."

"It's just shopping with _Bella Swan_, you mean. That is _not_ 'just shopping.'"

"Bella?" Rosalie entered the conversation, having let herself into the house as usual. "Do you have a date with Bella?"

"Well, kind of." Edward felt his face flush at Rosalie's words, and how much he wished he could answer in the affirmative.

"She invited him to go shopping with her and her little friend, Allie something." Emmett explained.

"Alice." Edward mumbled.

"I think that's sweet, Edward. She's a …nice girl." Rosalie was happy that Edward had a date with a girl, even a 'kind of' date. She had always thought that it was a shame that other girls didn't see him for the amazing guy she knew him to be. There was just something about Bella and her friend Alice, however. She wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about them that just seemed a bit…off. As if they were pretending to be what everyone thought they were. The only thing Rosalie knew was that they had better not mess with her 'brother' Edward if they knew what was good for them. She was almost as protective of him as Emmett was.

Fortunately, neither of the Cullen boys caught her slight hesitation. Edward was nervous enough, and Rosalie really did not want to puncture his hopes. No, she would keep her mouth closed and her thoughts to herself. Her eyes, however, would be wide open.


	3. Metamorphosis

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 3—Metamorphosis **

Bella paced back and forth in the front of the store. What if he didn't show up? Would she have to start all over with a new tactic?

"Bella, calm down. You're going to wear a hole in the floor." Alice didn't even move her eyes from the rack of clothes she was looking at as she admonished her friend in a bored voice.

"What if he doesn't come? We'll be back at square one! Ugh, I hate square one."

"Relax. He'll show up. I mean, what guy turns down an invitation from a girl who is as far out of his league as you are? Besides, even if he doesn't show up, we're hardly at square one. Didn't you say you talked to both of them yesterday in the parking lot?"

"Not really. I spoke to Edward, but Emmett _was_ there next to him."

"See? You stood out. He knows who you are. And you were talking to his brother, who is like his Achilles Heel. He probably thinks you a saint or something, being nice to him when you don't need to be."

"But I _do_ need to be nice to him. _You_ are making me be nice, remember?"

"Yes, but _he_ doesn't know that," Alice added with a conspiratorial grin.

Bella was about to retort when she saw a somewhat familiar face headed towards them. Edward was talking to someone next to him, and for a moment hope flared up in Bella's chest at the thought that maybe Emmett had come along with his brother. Her hopes were dashed when she looked next to him and saw a blonde head instead of the adorable dark curls that she had been hoping for. She recovered quickly, however, and was able to greet them both with a wining smile.

"Hey guys." Her greeting drew Alice's attention away from the clothes, as she looked up at the two new arrivals.

"Hey. So, uh, we're here." _Smooth, Edward. Real smooth way to state the obvious_, he berated himself.

"So I see," Bella responded with a smirk, pleased that he seemed a bit nervous. It was good for him to be nervous, he would be so much easier to persuade that way. And considering what she had planned, that was a very good thing.

"So, boys, was there anything you wanted to get while we're here?" Bella merely asked out of politeness. She already knew that they would not be leaving the mall empty-handed.

"I, uh, think I saw a music store that looked interesting."

Bella laughed lightly. "No, silly. I meant from _this_ store."

Edward looked around at the clothes and the pictures of models on the wall, then down at what he was wearing. "I don't think this store is really my style."

"What style?" Alice mumbled under her breath.

"Well, did you ever think of trying a new style?" Bella asked him, ignoring Alice's comment despite her personal agreement.

Edward didn't know how to respond. He had never really given much thought to what he wore. Emmett had always been much more stylish, and had simply given clothes he didn't care about anymore to Edward. Looking around at the pictures of models on the wall, he wondered if perhaps he should start paying more attention.

Bella took advantage of his hesitation to press further. "Come on, let's try an experiment. We'll try out a makeover on you and then see what you think. What do you say? Are you in?" Bella's mischievous and teasing glint was Edward's undoing. He knew in that moment that he'd probably agree to almost anything she suggested.

"Um, sure?" he managed to unstuck the words from his throat that had suddenly closed.

Bella's tinkling laugh squeezed his heart as her hand reached out to wrap around his arm. "On that note of overwhelming confidence, let's go!" she teased, pulling him forward. She glanced over her shoulder at the blonde who had been thus far standing in the background. "What about your friend? Do you think we should do a makeover on him as well?"

"What do you say, Jasper? Are you in?" Edward's eyes pleaded with his friend. He really wanted to look as good as possible in Bella's view, which included having cool and cooperative friends.

Jasper visibly started at being addressed so unexpectedly. He had thought he was just here as moral support. He had no idea that he was going to get roped in. "Um, sure, I guess. Why not?"

"Excellent," piped up Alice. "Bella, why don't you take care of Edward's look, and I'll take care of Jasper's."

Bella shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" she echoed Jasper's acquiescence. She noticed then that her hand was still on Edward's arm. As her awareness grew, she realized that the arm was not nearly as scrawny as she had expected, judging from the way his clothes swallowed him up. She pushed the thought away. This had nothing to do with Edward. It was all just a means to get to Emmett. However, she figured that she might as well do a few good deeds in the meantime.

When Bella had first come up with the idea of taking Edward to the mall, her plan was to give him a seriously needed makeover. There was absolutely no way she could be seen with him looking the way he did now. She did have a reputation to protect, after all! And a makeover would do Edward good too. Later on down the road, when she and Emmett were together, she didn't want any hard feelings between her and Edward. Giving him the gift of a new self was her first step in ensuring that the eventual break-up was as painless as possible. Well, if not painless, at least not devastating.

Several hours later, both boys had a new wardrobe assembled from several of the mall's trendier stores. There was one stop left before the metamorphosis was complete.

"No way. I don't need a haircut. Especially not from here!"

"Relax, Edward, you're getting stressed over nothing. And believe me, you _do_ need a haircut. And some highlights."

"No way am I getting highlights! That is _way_ too girly." It hadn't taken too long for Edward to find his voice after being pulled around all day by Bella and Alice and having clothes that he never would have chosen for himself thrown at him followed by orders to try them on and them parade around in them like he was an entry in a dog show. Although he secretly liked the way he looked in most of the clothes that were now in his possession, he felt that he had to put his foot down when it came to his hair. It was his hair! It was _his_ hair, and he was the only one who would have to live with whatever radical thing they did to him. Clothes could be changed, but hair took much, much longer to change back.

"Fine," Bella huffed. "No highlights. But you definitely need a trim and some styling tips. When was the last time you got a haircut anyway?"

"Umm, I think my mom cut it about four months ago."

"Four months! Edward! You need to have it trimmed every month, at _least_ every two months, or it will start looking shaggy."

"Maybe I like the shaggy look," Edward weakly defended himself. Bella merely crossed her arms and fixed him with a look signaling that she was not going to budge on the issue. He had grown very familiar with that look throughout the day. He glanced over to see how Jasper was faring.

Jasper seemed to be having a similar conversation with Alice, but it was manifesting very differently. Instead of glaring at him like Bella was, Alice was running her fingers through his hair, thinking aloud about the different styles she wanted to try on him. Judging by the look on his face, she could have been explaining the periodic table in Arabic and he wouldn't have cared.

Alice saw the look in Jasper's eyes as she ran her fingers through his hair, testing the thickness and texture, and recognized the look for what it was. She had seen the same look on the faces of many other guys in the past. Smitten. The boy was positively smitten. A part of her conscience twinged with guilt at leading him on like she was. It was all for Emmett, she reminded herself. Once the issue with Emmett was resolved, she'd see what she could do to help him find a nice girl to make him happy.

Edward looked back at Bella, who was still staring at him with her arms crossed, and sighed. He knew that it was inevitable that he would give in, and he figured he may as well save them both some time by doing it sooner rather than later. "Fine, but nothing too short."

Bella's face split into a wide grin of victory as she once again latched onto his arm and pulled him into the salon. Both girls positioned themselves next to the boys who were seated in the chairs to consult with the stylists. After each head was clipped to their satisfaction, each boy received a mini-lesson on styling and maintenance.

Stopping by a full-length mirror on the way out, the boys got their first look at their new selves. Edward just barely kept his jaw from dropping at his new reflection. He looked…normal. Almost attractive, even. His shaggy hair haw now trimmed and styled to look like intentional bed-head. His clothes fit him, revealing a surprisingly toned torso with jeans that fit him just right. Bella had even made him stop by the mall's optometrist to trade in his thick black glasses for trendy wire-rimmed ones. She had wanted him to get contacts, but he refused to willingly put anything in his eye.

Bella was having a similar reaction as she took him all in. She was really proud of her masterpiece. He finally looked like someone who came from the same gene pool as Emmett. Instead of a geek, he now looked more like a sexy nerd. She knew she'd never be able the get the nerd completely out of him, so she figured she may as well work with it. The results were unbelievable. He looked better than she could have imagined.

Next to him, Jasper was having a similar existential moment as his self-perception was now being forcibly shifted. His blond hair that had hung in limp, untidy curls was now tamed into a burnished wave. His clothes, like Edward's, now fit him perfectly. He looked like a completely different person, and he knew it was all thanks to the petite girl next to him. Impulsively, he reached over to give her a side hug. "Thanks," he grinned.

Alice smiled up at him. "You're welcome. Any time," she winked. As she spoke, she was surprised to realize that she meant it. She had actually had quite a bit of fun helping Jasper assemble an entirely new wardrobe. And she certainly couldn't argue with the results.

"So, what should we do now?" Edward asked, hoping to prolong his time with Bella, though preferably not at the mall.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Bella responded.

"Well it is almost dinner time," Jasper commented. Surprised, Edward looked at his (new) watch and was amazed to find that it was nearly five in the evening.

"We could go get some dinner in a bit, if you want to," Edward looked questioningly at Bella.

"That sounds good. Hey, why don't we drop off your new stuff and then head out?" Bella was secretly hoping that Emmett would be home and could be persuaded to join them.

Edward thought for a moment. "Sounds good to me. Jazz? Alice?"

"I'm in. You know me and food," Jasper teased, referencing the bottomless pit better known as his stomach. It was a common joke in the Cullen household that Jasper could hold his own even with Emmett, which was a thought believed to be impossible until they had held an impromptu eating contest and tied when they ran out of food. Edward smiled as he remembered the event.

"That sounds fine to me," Alice responded. "So, should we all meet at Edward's then?"

Edward was a bit surprised that his house should be deemed the meeting place, but had no reason to dislike the idea. Truthfully, he liked the idea of seeing Bella in his home. "Sure. Let's head on out."

They each walked to their respective cars. Bella and Alice had arrived together, so they followed Edward's car, knowing that Jasper would meet them after dropping off his own clothes. Neither of the girls had bought anything as they had been too busy being fashion consultants to shop for themselves, so they were headed directly to the Cullen house.

The drive provided the first private time for them to talk since they had met up with the boys.

"So, how do you think it's going?" Bella asked the mastermind next to her.

"I think you have him wrapped around your little finger," Alice shared a conspiratorial grin before turning her attention back to her driving.

"You don't think I'm being too mean, do you?" Bella asked after a short pause.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm leading him on. On purpose. You don't think that's going a bit too far?"

Alice sighed. "Bella, whatever he chooses to believe is his own fault. Right now, you are just being a friendly girl who is helping him with some fashion tips. That is hardly a crime."

"I know, but what about what happens later, after we split Emmett and Rosalie up? When he finds out that it's all been a scheme, he's going to be hurt."

Alice turned amazed eyes at her friend. This was unexpected. "Oh my God, you _like_ him, don't you?"

"No," Bella scoffed. "I don't like him. Not like that, anyway. I just think that he's a nice guy and he doesn't deserve this."

"Fine, so keep dating him and give me Emmett. Problem solved!" Alice teased.

"Nuh-uh! There is now way I'm handing him over to you that easily!" Bella quipped. They teased back and forth for the remainder of the drive.

When they pulled into the Cullen's driveway, both of their hearts leapt at the sight of the familiar jeep parked there. Emmett was home! They tried to control their faces of excitement as they pulled in alongside Edward's silver car.

As soon as they entered the front door, they were greeted by catcalls, whoops, and whistles. For once, it was not directed towards the girls. Instead, Emmett was showing his appreciation for his brother's new look.

"Thanks, Em," Edward ducked his head a bit, embarrassed by the attention.

"Damn. Who knew I had such a good looking brother?" Emmett continued to check him out in an exaggerated manner.

"Seriously, Em? I am not a piece of meat!" Edward protested in an equally exaggerated manner before they both dissolved into laughter.

The sound of the two girls joining in with the laughter alerted Emmett to the fact that they had guests and he smiled at them in greeting, unaware that his action caused them to swoon inside. As Edward headed upstairs to his room to drop off his bags, Emmett turned his attention to the newcomers.

"Well, I don't know how you did it, but you girls did an amazing job. What, did you wave a magic wand? Is he going to turn back at midnight?" he laughed.

Bella reveled in the sound of his laughter for a moment before answering. "Nope, no magic wand. Just good old fashioned fashion sense," she smiled. "The potential was always there, it just needed to be brought out." She slyly glanced at Alice, acknowledging that it was she who had first claimed that Edward had potential.

"Well whatever it was, the results are amazing," Emmett responded. "So, what are your plans now?" he inquired as Edward descended down the stairs.

"We were talking about getting something for dinner," he responded, catching the last sentence.

"You guys could join us for dinner," Emmett offered. "I was just about to order a few pizzas when you guys came in."

"Sounds good to me. Bella? Alice?" he asked them with a look.

Secretly, both girls rejoiced. This could not have possibly worked out any better. Alice was indeed an evil mastermind. Either that, or they were extremely lucky. "Sure, that sounds good," they responded as nonchalantly as possible.

"Great! I'll just double my order, then," Emmett grabbed the phone to place his order.

"Better triple it, Jasper's coming over in a bit," Edward warned. Emmett let out a good-natured groan before finishing his dialing.

Emmett had just finished the call when Rosalie entered the room.

"Knock, knock!" she called.

Emmett's response was instantaneous as he sprang up from the chair and rushed to grab her in an enfolding hug. He spun her in circles, inciting a stream of giggles to erupt from her. Bella and Alice remained frozen where they were as their hearts clenched at the sight before them. Sure, they had seen the two of them together many times at school, parties, and cheer practice, but it was so much different in the home setting. It was much more intimate, uncomfortably so.

They were saved by Jasper entering the house at that moment, acting as a divergent for their attention.

"Hey, Jazz, change of plans. Looks like we're going to stay here for pizza. That okay?"

"Sure, just so long as your brother ordered enough for me to eat."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Jazz, there isn't enough pizza in the entire country of Italy to fill your stomach."

Everyone, including Jasper, laughed at his expense, when Rosalie finally noticed Edward's new appearance for the first time.

"Wow, Edward. What happened to you?" She smiled to let him know that the new look was definitely an improvement.

"Um, Bella and Alice happened," he looked down in embarrassment. He was still not accustomed to the attention that his new look was garnering, even if it was only from his brother and Rosalie. He had a sudden foreboding about school on Monday. If he couldn't handle the attention now, what would he do then?

"Well, it looks great," Rosalie affirmed. It was true. She hardly recognized him, except for the way he spoke and acted. He looked like a completely new person.

Jasper noticed his friend's discomfort and moved the topic to more pressing matters.

"So, what should we do tonight?" he asked, posing the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Rose and I were planning on watching a movie. Do you guys want to watch with us?'

"Ooh, which movie?" Alice couldn't really care less about which movie it was, but it seemed like an appropriate question. All that she knew was that they were about to spend a couple hours in a dark room with Emmett Cullen just a few feet away. Inwardly, she was squealing and jumping up and down, but she had worked hard on projecting the cool, almost bored expression that she was known for.

"Dark Knight," answered her favorite Cullen. _Hmm, a night with Emmett in a dark room__and__Christian Bale playing the hero? Sold!_

"I love that movie. Bella, are you in?" Alice knew that she didn't really have to ask. The girls had shared a fascination for Christian Bale ever since Newsies. There was no way she'd miss the golden opportunity of combining her fantasy crush with her real life one.

"I'm in," Bella answered, just as Alice knew she would. They shared a secret smile. This night was turning out better than they could have dreamed. It was just too bad that there were three extraneous people in the mix.

Edward was likewise fascinated by the turn of events. He had thought it amazing that he had been able to spend the day with Bella. Now he was able to extend their time into the evening? This day was truly a good day, better than he could have hoped for.


	4. The New Cullen

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 4—A New Cullen**

Monday came much too early for Edward. The burst of confidence his new appearance had given him earlier had begun to fade. Now, faced with the prospect of being among his peers again, he stood in front of his closet, staring at the clothes inside.

Staring back at him were the personifications of the choice that he had to make. The comfortable clothes that were previously worn by his brother, or the new clothes bought a few days ago with Bella? Which Edward would he be today? The same person he had always been, or the new one he was attempting to create?

The thought of creating a new self, and failing at it, was terrifying. He knew who he was. He was Emmett Cullen's dorky little brother. Deep down, he knew that that was unlikely to change; no matter what new clothes he wore. He could wear the same clothes he had always worn. No one would know the difference…aside from Emmett, Rosalie, Bella, Alice, and Jasper, of course.

He started reaching towards a blue sweatshirt that he often wore when a vision of Bella's disappointed face stalled his hand. She had worked hard to get him his new clothes. It would be rude to not wear them to show his appreciation.

_Liar_ his conscience accused him. _You are not wearing those new clothes out of appreciation. You just want her to like the way you look. So what if I do?_ he argued with himself. _Doesn't everyone want to be well thought of? Yes, but you want her to like the way you look. If she doesn't like you for who you are, does it really matter if she thinks you're cute?_ _Shut up,_ he told himself. _There's nothing wrong with dressing nicely._ Besides, maybe the new clothes could be like an experiment. He'd try it out to test the results. After all, it wasn't as if he was changing anything too drastically. It was only clothes.

With that, he grabbed a shirt that Bella had claimed brought out his eyes before he could argue with himself further. After getting dressed, he was faced with another dilemma. The hair. He stared at the mousse on his bathroom counter, trying to remember the stylist's instructions. Something about an egg-sized blob and pulling up and twisting. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the canister and squeezed some in his hand. It took a good ten minutes, but eventually he was able to convince himself that he vaguely resembled how he had looked Friday night.

Ah, Friday. That night would be forever branded in his memory. The night had been comfortable, even though it was the first time they had all hung out together. His first time ever hanging out with a girl who was neither dating his brother nor related to him, actually. He had sat next to Bella on the couch, along with Jasper and Alice. Emmett had taken the recliner, with Rosalie in his lap. Bella had seemed to really enjoy the movie and the time spent at his house. She did seem to tense up at odd moments, however, he recalled with a frown. It usually happened when Emmett and Rosalie started kissing. Not that he could blame her; it _was_ uncomfortable to be sitting in a room with two people who were attempting to eat each other's face.

"Oi! Don Juan! Get your butt down here! We're going to be late!" Emmett's voice carried up the stairs to shake Edward from his thoughts. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed his bag and headed downstairs towards his brother. Ever since Edward had come home with two girls behind him, two cheerleaders nonetheless, Emmett had unceasingly teased him about being a lover boy.

Once Emmett caught sight of him, he let out a piercing wolf whistle. "Damn, bro. You clean up nice."

"Oh stop, you're making me blush," Edward teased in a high-pitched voice, throwing in an elaborate hand wave for good measure before succumbing to laughing at the absurdity of the situation. His brother, God's gift to Forks High School in the eyes of most of the girls who attended there, was actually telling Edward Cullen that he looked good? It was laughable.

Walking onto campus, Edward could hear the whispers behind him from the people he passed. The whispers themselves were nothing new; he had been hearing them since junior high. What the whisperers were saying, however, was starkly different.

"_Hey, who's the new kid walking with Emmett?"_

"_I don't know. Is he new?"_

"_He's kind of cute. I like the glasses."_

"_Hold up. Is that _Edward Cullen_?"_

"_Holy cow, I think it is!"_

"_What the heck happened to him?"_

"_Whatever it is, he looks…different."_

"_Hella different!"_

"_He looks so cute now."_

"_Wow, I never noticed his eyes before. They're so green!"_

"_He's actually doable now."_

The last comment caught him off guard, and a surprised laugh escaped his chest. 'Doable?' Wow, the clothes must have made a bigger impression than he had thought.

Edward had almost reached his locker when he heard a now familiar voice call his name. Whipping his head around, he saw Bella walking towards him, wearing a stunning smile, and leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Hey Edward." Bella stalked towards him, like a cat on the prowl, a slightly predatory smile on her face. Her lips stretched further as she noticed her effect on him.

Lifting her gaze to his hair, she noticed his attempt to follow her instructions on styling. "Here. Let me fix this." She reached both hands up to tangle her fingers in his hair, attempting to achieve the perfect 'just rolled out of bed' look. As soon as she touched him, an unexpected jolt shot through her fingertips and down her arm. The sensation unnerved her, but she carefully controlled her face to reveal nothing of her thoughts.

Once his hair was fixed, she slowly lowered her hands, trailing them down his shoulders and chest. The tingling sensation continued to dance through her arms. She was tempted to yank her hands back to stop the sensation, but she knew that doing so would negate all of her efforts thus far. _This is for Emmett. This is for Emmett,_ she chanted to herself silently, taking a calming breath.

"There, that's better." She breathed, gazing into his green eyes.

Edward's heart felt torn between beating out of his chest and stopping all together. After a seemingly endless moment, he remembered how to form words again. "Thanks." His voice was equally breathless.

The warning bell brought both of them back to reality.

"I guess I'll see you in class," Bella passed by him, trailing her fingertips across his collarbone as she moved away. Once she reached the corner, she turned back to smile at him. Just as she had planned, he was still staring after her, not having moved an inch.

Oh yeah, the plan was moving along just fine.

*****

The rest of the morning passed in a bit of a blur for Edward. He was sure that the teachers had been teaching something. He knew that it was probably information that he should know. He also knew that he had heard none of it.

In his mind, he kept replaying his encounter with Bella from earlier. The feeling of her fingers in his hair, the bolts of electricity that coursed through him when she ran her hands down his chest, the parting smile she had given him before walking away, the images ran through his mind as an endless loop.

He was so caught up in his own musings, that he was almost unaware of the whispers that continued to surround him in all of his classes. There was never much variation; the high schoolers around him were not much for ingenuity. Mostly, they just commented on his new look and expressed shock over how different he now looked.

Ever since Edward had moved up a grade in middle school, people had been talking about him behind his back. At first, it was simply wonderment over the 'new guy' and curiosity about the brother of Emmett Cullen. It hadn't taken long, however, for the comments to grow vicious. Even with moving up a grade, Edward was at the top of his class. His shyness made it difficult for him to talk to people, and was interpreted as unfriendliness. His peers began to find fault in everything he did, and ridicule anything he did right. His confidence dwindled in social situations, as he pulled back further within himself reactively.

If it hadn't been for Jasper, no one in Forks would know what his voice sounded like outside of a classroom. Indeed, Jasper had been one of the few people who reached out to Edward during his traumatic adolescence, mostly because he recognized a kindred spirit. Jasper may not have had an older brother or skipped a grade, but he was definitely seen in the same vein as Edward. Both boys were intelligent academically while having little to no social knowledge. Together, however, they forged a bond that truly made them brothers, despite their different lineages. With Jasper, Edward was free to be himself, without fear of being ridiculed, and vice versa.

Because of these hard-earned life lessons, Edward typically tuned out anything being said around him. Today, however, he didn't mind listening. He did not really care what anyone thought of him, or at least that's what he told himself, but it was still nice to hear approval over his new look. Despite his earlier efforts to convince himself that the clothes were not a big deal, he was learning that they really were. He had no idea the impact a change of wardrobe would make on the people around him. Maybe he should write a dissertation on it. Nah.

The morning classes flew by so fast that Edward was a bit surprised when it was time for lunch. He started heading towards his usual table when an arm suddenly snaked around his waist, followed by a seductive whisper in his ears.

"Mind if I sit with you today?" The combination of Bella's voice and proximity proved too much for Edward's brain as it ceased to function. The most that he could manage was a jerky nod as he led her to where he normally sat with Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper.

Bella was feeling very pleased with herself as she headed towards the table that had long held the object of her fascination. From her periphery, she saw the looks that she and Edward were garnering. The stares were nothing new to her, and she usually reveled in the open admiration from the male populace, even if they did tend to be irritating. This attention was new, however, because this time, Edward Cullen was included in the admiration coming from the school's females.

A side-look towards the boy she had her arm around revealed why he was attracting so much attention. He did look good. A surge of pride welled up at the knowledge that she had created this transformation. She had succeeded in making a silk purse out of a sow's ear, despite the odds.

Behind the pride came the amusement at the predictability of her classmates. A boy who had been teased and tormented for years was now seen in a new light of wonderment and lust simply because of a change in appearance and a cheerleader on his arm. It took so little, really, to influence weak minds. Edward was, in essence, no different than he was last week, but now he was accepted. _Because of her_, her pride injected.

Emmett's eyes honed in on Bella's arm, which was still wrapped around his little brother, as the new couple approached the table. To say he was surprised was a bit of an understatement. Sure, they had hung out on Friday, but he didn't get a strong vibe from Bella about Edward. Her actions around him seemed to be forced. He could see the effort even now as she kept her arm firmly around him, as if staking a claim. A glance up at his brother's face, however, sealed his mind against all thoughts about talking to him about it. Edward was happy. Dazed and incoherent, perhaps, but happy to have such a pretty girl desiring to be around him. With a silent sigh, he knew that he wouldn't say anything to strip his brother of his newfound joy unless he had concrete proof that she was up to no good. One thing was certain; he intended to keep his eyes open around Bella Swan.


	5. Axis Shift

**For the Love of Emmett **

**Chapter 5—Axis Shift**

Bella could hardly believe what was happening. She was currently headed towards Emmett Cullen's table. Today, she would eat with Emmett Cullen. She had longed for this for four long years, and it was finally happening. There were only a few details that marred her euphoria. The first was the blonde next to Emmett. The second was that her arm was twined around the wrong Cullen.

Edward. There really wasn't anything overt that she didn't like about Edward. It had nothing to do with who he was. It had everything to do with who he wasn't. He wasn't Emmett. In her eyes, that was a major roadblock. There was only one Emmett Cullen, and she was determined to get him somehow.

Bella and Edward finally made it to the table, sitting down across from Emmett and Rosalie. Moments later, Alice plopped herself down next to Bella, with Jasper following soon after to sit next to her. All parties attempted to act as though sitting together was an everyday occurrence, each having their own motivation for doing so. Edward was thrilled to be sitting next to Bella, and attempted to act as "cool" as possible. Jasper was equally thrilled to be close to Alice, and wanted to impress her as well. Emmett and Rosalie acted casually while secretly observing both Alice and Bella and their interactions with Edward and Jasper. Alice and Bella were simply ecstatic to be conversing so easily with Emmett, and had to forcibly remind themselves to continue their subterfuge and not ignore the boys next to them.

Despite their attempts, tension was thick around the table. It was a relief when the bell finally rang, and everyone was able to drop their acts. Everyone, that is, except Bella and Edward. Rising from the table, they headed towards the one class they had together. Biology.

Halfway to the class, Edward's hand started twitching. He longed to reach over and grab her hand, but he was afraid of the rejection that she would likely give. _Come on, you wuss! Just do it already! She was the one who out her arm around you, remember?_ Maybe she does that with all of her friends, he argued internally. It probably meant nothing to her._ Nothing? Then what was with all of the smiles throughout lunch? Were they nothing as well? And don't forget her fixing your hair this morning, either. _She was just being nice. _Fine, be that way. If you won't open your eyes, there's nothing I can do about it._ There's nothing to do about anything. I know that I don't really stand a chance with her. I'd be better off just taking whatever she hands out and being content with that.

Edward's hand stayed firmly by his side for the remainder of their walk.

Biology proved to be as difficult for Edward to follow on Monday as it had been on Friday. The reason was the same; his mind was busy running in circles about Bella. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Of course, there was nothing new about that fact. His thoughts had been consumed by her for years.

Edward could still remember the first time he had seen Bella Swan. It was the beginning of his first year of being moved up a grade, and he had been floundering under the pressure. He had always been bright, but bypassing an entire year of education had put his mental faculties to the test.

In a way, it was fortunate for him that Emmett had had football practice daily. Edward would spend the time Emmett was training in the library getting a handle of his new schoolwork. One day, he had finished early and decided to wander down to the field to wait for his brother. That day, which had seemed so ordinary when he had woken up, was engraved in his memory.

He still remembered walking across campus with his head down, as always. As he drew closer to the field, he could hear yells and shouts that were too high-pitched to belong to the players. Looking towards the sound reflexively, he saw a group of girls in athletic wear working on kicks, leaps, and lifts. He only gave them a cursory glance at first, but then a musical laugh tickled his ears.

The sound was unlike anything he had ever heard before; it was what he imagined an angel's voice would sound like. He searched for the source of the sound, his eyes finally resting on a beautiful brunette. His breath caught in his throat. She was stunning. The sight of her laughing face, head thrown back in exhilaration, squeezed his heart oddly.

Afterwards, he started watching and paying attention to her. He found out that her name was Bella Swan and that she was rarely seen without her best friend, Alice. He learned that she was one of the best cheerleaders on the squad and that she was in the same year that he was now in. He learned that she was a good student, especially in English. He also learned that, although no one said anything bad about her, the other girls did not seem to like her very much. They were never blatant, and it was almost imperceptible to anyone not watching as closely as he was, but it was there—the hint of mistrust and suspicion. He concluded that is must be based in jealousy, because there was nothing that his angel could possibly do to warrant such a response.

He had been silently aware of Bella for years, unbeknownst to anyone—not even Emmett or Jasper knew about his fascination. He had always known that she was way out of his league, and he did not see the point in encouraging such an ill-fated attraction. He could not reign in his attention, however, whenever her name came up anywhere around him.

It was such a shock, therefore, when a few days ago, Bella had suddenly noticed _him_. It was as if the Earth had shifted on its axis or they had stumbled into an alternate universe. He kept expecting to wake up from his dream, praying fervently all the while that he never would.

A sudden movement to his left pulled him out of his thoughts. Class had ended without him being aware and the students around him were now packing up their bags. He started to mirror their movements when her voice stalled his actions.

"So, any plans for tonight?" He looked up, surprised to find her leaning against his desk. How had she come so close without his being aware?

"Umm, not really. Just homework, I guess."

"Would you like to hang out? I have cheer practice today, but how about afterwards? We could do some homework together, and then maybe watch a movie or something." Bella had been thinking about the next phase in her plan throughout the long class period. If she had had any doubts, the weekend confirmed that Edward was way to timid to take the initiative with arranging activities for them to be together on his own. She would have to train him. And until he was trained, she would need to take the lead.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. I mean, yes, that'd be great. So, did you want to come over, then?"

"Yeah, that'd be great" she echoed his words with a teasing smile. She was becoming used to his flustered stammering when she caught him off guard. It was actually kind of cute, she realized. "Well, I'll see you after school then." She pushed off from his desk; leaving behind a dazed Edward who once again was wondering what in the world had just happened.

It was not until Bella was leaving her last class that she realized the potential hitch in her plans. She had been focusing so much on Edward and the chance to be around Emmett that she had forgotten about Alice. How was she going to explain it to her? She couldn't think of a way to get Alice an invitation without being too obvious, but she didn't want her to think she was being cut out of the action either. Seeing Alice walking towards her, she took a deep breath. _Well, no time like the present._

"So, how did it go?" Alice wasted no time on the preliminary greetings.

"It was fine. Actually, it was better than fine. I have a study date at the Cullen house today after practice." Alice squealed in excitement with her before realization settled over her.

"You mean you, as in _only_ you have a study date?"

Bella looked down in chagrin. "I'm sorry Alice, but I don't think I can get you in this time. It might be too obvious."

Alice thought for a moment, and then shrugged lightly. "It doesn't really matter. You're right, we need to lay a foundation, and I can't do that for you." She was silent for a moment. "Maybe I should call up Jasper and start laying some ground work there. If I start dating him, then we'd have even more excuse to be around Emmett. Besides, it's not fair making you go through this alone."

Bella's eyes grew slightly damp at the fresh display of loyalty from her closest friend. "You're the best, Alice" she gave her a side hug as they headed towards practice.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. That's why I'm going to make you my maid of honor when I marry Emmett" she teased.

Bella shoved her away in mock annoyance. "No, that's why I'll make sure to throw the bouquet your way during _my_ wedding to Emmett."

They had to stop talking on the subject, as they were drawing closer to the other cheerleaders, Rosalie being prominent among them. No, it would certainly not be a good idea to continue _that_ topic of conversation within her hearing.

*****

Two hours later, Bella was showered and heading towards the Cullen house after practice. Her schoolwork was in her bag, but she did not intend to do too much that evening. She was pretty caught up in her classes, and she had better plans about how she should spend the evening.

To her delight, Emmett greeted her at the door. He was dressed casually in jeans and a fitted shirt that showed off his awe-inspiring muscles. His hair was still damp from his post-practice shower, and his feet were bare. Her breath caught at the unexpected intimacy of seeing him so casual, especially when combined with his trademark heart-stopping smile.

"Hey, Bella. Come on in! Edward is upstairs in his room." He pointed her up and then turned to head back to the family room where he was watching sports.

"Um, thanks." Upstairs? She didn't want to spend the evening sequestered alone with Edward in his room. She wanted to be near Emmett! Not feeling as if she had a choice, however, she pasted on a smile and forced her feet to climb the stairs.

The last time she had been in his house, she had stayed downstairs. As such, this was her first time entering the "private" area of the home. She took the opportunity to snoop around a little. Hung along the hallway were pictures of Emmett and Edward growing up. They had both been adorable babies, but their appearances had begun going in dramatically different directions in middle school. Emmett had grown bigger and more massive, while Edward grew taller and leaner.

Soft music tugged her away from the photos and towards an open door down the hall. Peeking in, she saw Edward slouched over his desk, concentrating fully on the textbook in front of him. His hair was still in the messy disarray that it had been styled into, though much messier than she had seen it previously due to his habit of running his fingers through it while reading.

"Knock, knock" she called softly, rapping lightly on his door. Edward's head spun around at the sound.

For a moment, he couldn't understand why she was here and wondered if he had conjured up her image. A heartbeat later, he remembered that they had made study plans. How he could have forgotten, even momentarily, he had no idea.

"Come on in" he smiled, finally remembering his manners. He looked around his room as if seeing it for the first time. Where in the world should he have her sit? The only other person he had studied with in his room had been Jasper, and he had been content to sprawl on his bed or his beanbag. He didn't feel right offering either location to Bella, however. The bed seemed too intimate, the beanbag too juvenile.

"Um, do you want to study here? Or, we could go downstairs?"

"Do you mind if we head downstairs? It might be more comfortable." Bella tried to hide her smile of triumph and disguise it as one of enthusiasm. It must have worked, because he smiled back, gathered up his books, and headed out.

Before they left the room, she noticed the music that was coming from his stereo. It was soft acoustic guitar. Funny, she had figured him more as a classical or opera listener. The smooth guitar seemed to suit him, though, oddly enough.

She followed him back downstairs and into the den area. It was a comfortable room with plenty of seating area. They each spread out to start diving into their work. A comfortable silence settled between them.

Every so often, one of them would glance at the other. He was struck each time with her uncomplicated beauty. When she was at school or in public, she seemed to be putting on a display of sultry appeal with the intent of drawing in all males in her vicinity like bees to a flower. Now, sitting in a room alone with him, she was just herself. She wasn't trying to be attractive, she simply was. Unconsciously, she'd bite her lower lip or twist a strand of hair around her finger. Although these actions were seen by him many times in the past, always with a target in view, her current actions seemed unconscious, showing him more of who she truly was than most others were privy to.

In between Edward's observations of her, she would glance up occasionally to look at him. She still marveled at how surprisingly attractive he looked now. She knew that she shouldn't be too surprised. After all, he _was_ related to Emmett, the epitome of male attractiveness. She found herself caught, however, with watching the way he would focus with intense concentration on what he was reading. His eyebrows would draw together, his lips would purse slightly as he came across a particularly challenging section. She could almost see the gears in his head working, and it was fascinating to witness.

An hour into their studies, Emmett poked his head in to call them to dinner. Bella was surprised when she saw the clock to see what time it was. She felt as if she had just arrived. They walked in to the kitchen together, where Emmett and Mr. and Mrs. Cullen were setting food on the table. All three looked up when they entered, the latter wearing a wide smile. Mrs. Cullen stepped forward to grasp Bella's hand in a warm clasp.

"Hello. You must be Bella. We've heard so much about you." She looked pointedly at her son, noting his light flush of embarrassment.

Bella smiled in response. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Please, call me Esme" she tightened her fingers slightly around Bella's still captured hand before releasing it. Bella nodded in acquiescence, liking her already.

"And call me Carlisle," Edward's father inserted, leaning forward to shake Bella's recently returned hand.

Dinner began very pleasantly, with everyone commenting about how their day had been and making small talk. Halfway through the meal, however, Esme began asking Bella fact-finding questions. They started easily enough with inquiries into her basic information and family life. Bella talked about how her parents were divorced and that she lived with her dad.

"How long have your parents been separated?"

"Since I was two years old. I've never really known them as a couple, and they're so different that it's really hard to picture."

"Different? How so?"

"Well, Charlie is really reserved and focused and serious, whereas Renee is flighty and emotional and energetic." Bella's lips curved upwards as she thought about her mother. Renee was an energy source that could not be resisted. Alice reminded her of her so much with her bright optimism and enthusiasm for life.

"And you lived with your mom until just a few years ago?"

"Yes. We decided that I was going to move when I was in fifth grade. My mom had just remarried, and I really missed my dad."

"That must have been hard for you, to leave your mother at such a young age." Esme's voice was filled with kind compassion.

"Yes and no. I knew where I needed to be, and it was here." Bella tried to put on a strong facade, but her face fell into a slightly sad expression as she recalled the decision of her moving. After Renee had married Phil, the house she had lived in for years with her mom had grown perceptibly uncomfortable. Phil had not been ready to become a father of a girl on the verge of adolescence, and she felt awkward having a man in the house all the time. She had talked to her mom about moving back to Forks with her dad, and her mom had readily agreed. Although they kept in regular contact via phone calls and e-mail, the truth was that she missed her mom. It had hurt that she had been so willing to give up her daughter for her new husband.

Those aches from rejection had slowly healed over time, however, thanks in large part to the love she received from her father. Despite being reluctant to display affection overtly, Charlie was a master at the subtle evidence of his love. Bella knew how much he loved her from the myriad of little things that added up to a lot. He always made sure that all of her needs were met, and even most of her wants. She had never been in need at any point in her memory.

Noticing Bella's inner musings, Esme let her be. She studied the girl that sat across from her. There was no question that she was a very pretty girl. It was no wonder, therefore, why Edward had been so intrigued by her. She thought back to her surprise of coming home and seeing Edward's new appearance for the first time. Her jaw had dropped to the floor as she wondered what had happened to her youngest boy. He looked suddenly grown-up and mature. Whether he recognized it or not, he also had more confidence than she had seen in him in a long time.

Seeing the girl before her and knowing that she had been the one behind the new changes in her son, Esme's heart longed to enfold her. Hearing her story had merely increased the longing as she yearned to do what she could to fill the void of an absent mother. She could not imagine the selfishness that had allowed a mother to be separated from her daughter at such a young age simply to spend more time with a new husband. _Easy, Esme_, she tamped down her growing indignation. _It's not your problem. You've never even met the woman_. She took a calming breath, and then started a whole new round of questions for Bella, this time aimed at her future plans.

By the time dinner was over and the three teenagers had escaped the parents, Bella was mentally exhausted. And she had thought that doing homework was hard! She knew that she had probably revealed way too much of herself, but at the time, it was almost a need to respond to Esme's gentle prodding, despite the difficulty of the questions themselves.

"I'm sorry about that," Edward mumbled as they headed into the family room. "She tends to get carried away whenever someone new visits."

"Don't worry about it. I like her." Bella gave him an assuring smile, gently squeezing his hand. Just like last time, a jolt of electricity shot up both of their arms at the skin contact. They each instinctively jerked their arms away, as if the sensation had scalded them. Just like scalding water, however, the tingles continued even after the physical connection had been broken. Edward's hand continued to sting painlessly throughout the movie they watched together. It tingled as he waved goodbye when she drove off, and continued to prickle later as he lay in bed, willing himself to sleep.

He stared at the ceiling in frustration as sleep continued to avoid him. Typically, he resisted sleep out of dread for what the next day would bring. This night, for the first time on a very long time, he couldn't sleep out of anticipation. Today had, indeed, been a very good day, and he couldn't wait to wake up and repeat it.


	6. Dinner

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 6—Dinner**

Bella was shocked the next day to find that Alice had been serious when she said she planned to up her game with Jasper. They had become inseparable. By the end of the week, Jasper was walking with her between each class and sitting with her each day at lunch—at Emmett's table, of course. She had to admire Alice's style, however. She had Jasper carrying her books and opening doors for her in true gentlemanly fashion. Although, she was uncertain how much of it was Alice's doing and how much of it was simply Jasper.

The new development worked perfectly for their plans. They had now coalesced into a group of six and it was common for some or all of them to be found together at any given time. They occasionally rotated houses, but the favorite by far was the Cullen residence.

It had been nearly a month since the beginning of their latest "get Emmett" plan, and Bella and Alice were both pleased with their progress. Jasper and Edward had succumbed easily to their charms. They hung on their every word, agreeing to anything that might make them happy. There were still the occasional assertions of independence, but the girls found them easy to work around. Even Emmett seemed to be warming to their presence. He now laughed as easily with them as he did with the boys.

There was only one dark spot in the situation—Rosalie. Although hanging out daily had produced the inevitable comfortableness that often arises from repeated exposure, she never seemed to let her guard down around them.

The girls assumed that Rosalie's behavior was based on the threat of her position as queen bee among the boys and dismissed it. In actuality, Rosalie was still highly suspicious of the girls and carefully monitored their actions for signs of subterfuge. She knew that the girls had never paid any attention to Edward or Jasper in the past. The inexplicable shift in their conduct raised red flags for her. What in the world would possibly make two of the hottest girls in school suddenly start hanging all over two boys who were at the bottom of the social food chain? As much as she loved Edward and Jasper, it simply did not make any sense.

Despite her misgivings, she was unable to find concrete evidence that the girls were up to something. Their laughs and smiles seemed forced at times, and every once in awhile she thought she saw flickers of hesitation dance across their faces whenever one of the boys reached for them for a hug or handhold, but these inklings were not enough to go on.

"I just don't like it, Emmett. Why are they always here?" Bella had been about to enter the kitchen for some water, but Rosalie's voice caused her to pause outside the door.

"What do you mean? It's a school night. We're all doing our homework, same as every night." Emmett sounded a bit confused at Rosalie's question.

"No, I mean, why do they always hang out here? Shouldn't they be going out on dates alone by now? Don't you think it's weird that they never want to be alone with them?"

"I don't know. Maybe they're just not ready for that yet."

"Oh, bullshit, Emmett! 'Not ready?' I might believe that of Jasper and Edward, but those girls have no problem with confidence, believe you me!"

"Have you thought that maybe it's Ed and Jazz who want to take it slow?" Bella rejoiced at the way Emmett came to their defense against Rosalie.

"Seriously? Have you seen your brother lately whenever he's around her? He follows her like a puppy dog. He would do anything she said. Trust me, if there is anything that is not happening between them, it's because _she_ doesn't want it to happen. Which begs the question: why does she not want to hang out alone with your brother?"

There was a silence in the kitchen as Emmett thought about the question. Bella backed away slowly from the doorway. _Crap_. She needed to step up her ploy with Edward it seemed.

Her thoughts were so occupied that she hardly knew how she made it back to the den where they had all been finishing their homework. Bella took her customary spot on the couch next to Edward, while Alice and Jasper sprawled out on the floor. Emmett and Rose followed soon after and took the opposing couch. Rosalie's accusations continued to ring in Bella's head as she tried to come up with the best solution.

Finally, she came to decision. Waiting until they were alone in the room, she shuffled closer to lean against Edward's shoulder.

"Hey you," she whispered softly. Edward's eyes shifted from his text to the beautiful brunette next to him. Her proximity, as always, fogged his brain delightfully.

"Hey," he responded in an equally quiet voice, adding a contented smile and closing his book.

"So, I was thinking…" Bella trailed off while picking up one of his hands and trailing her fingers along his palm.

"Yeah?" he encouraged her to continue her thought.

"What would you say to hanging out tomorrow, just you and me? I thought we could go out to dinner or to a movie or something." She raised her gaze from their joined hands to his surprised face.

"Yeah, that sounds great. Um, where do you want to go?"

"No preference. I just thought it'd be nice to spend some time together. Kind of like a date."

At the word 'date' Edward's fogged brain suddenly came to a standstill. She wanted to go on a date? With _him_? Sure, they had hung out as a group, but this was the first time she had specifically wanted to spend alone time with him.

"Okay then." As if he could deny her anything. He answered as nonchalantly as possible, but he couldn't stop the silly grin that was tugging at his mouth.

Everyone left soon afterward, and Edward was finally free to ask Emmett's advice on where to take Bella the following night.

"Well, the first date I took Rose on was to the local diner, but I think you might be able to do a it better than that," he winked.

"Yeah, but there's not much else in Forks, is there?" he commented, dejectedly.

"Well, who said you had to stay in Forks?" Emmett raised his brow. "You have a car."

"You think she'd want to go somewhere else? Where?"

"Well, Port Angeles comes immediately to mind. It's not too far and there are a couple of nice restaurants there. Most don't even need a reservation."

Edward sighed in relief, the major issue being thus solved. Now that the question of where he was going to take her was settled, all he had to do was prepare for the date itself. _Oh crap._

*****

Edward was unbelievably nervous the next day as he went to pick up Bella for their date. Running his hand anxiously through his hair, he knocked on her door. The sound of hurried steps and scuffles were heard from the other side of the door. Then, the door opened.

His breath caught in his throat. She was beautiful. She always looked beautiful to him, but even more so tonight. The casual blue dress she wore complimented her skin perfectly, as did her carefully styled hair and make-up. He normally didn't notice the kinds of effort females put into their appearance. Rosalie had frequently been annoyed at his oblivion to a new hairstyle or dress. With Bella, though, nothing was too small to escape his attention.

Suddenly realizing that he had been standing there staring at her longer than was probably appropriate, he scrambled to put some words together.

"You look great." He smiled at her responding grin at the compliment, all the while berating himself for his unimaginative comment. _"Great?' Is that_ _you can come up with? How about beautiful, gorgeous, heart-stopping, breath-taking, stunning, dazzling, astounding? Any of those words would have been better than 'great.'_

He led her out to the car, opening the passenger side door for her before jogging around to his own side. _Okay Cullen. Keep it together. Don't say anything stupid. Don't creep her out. Just stay cool._ His mini-pep talk helped sooth his nerves as he steered the car towards Port Angeles.

Beside him, Bella was having a similar inner monologue. _Just relax, Bella. It's only one evening. This is for Emmett; don't forget that. Just relax and try to have fun. Remember you need this guy._

Bella looked over to smile at him and started making small talk. She took the time to appraise the boy sitting next to her. It was astonishing, really, to think that the Edward Cullen before her was the same Edward Cullen from a month ago. He looked completely different. Watching him become animated as he retold an amusing story from one of his classes, she was surprised at the sudden pull of attraction she felt for him. Frowning slightly at the thought, she pushed aside all thoughts of that sort and concentrated on their conversation.

An hour later, they pulled into the restaurant parking lot. Bella was a bit surprised at the choice. It looked expensive, not the sort of place a teenage boy would typically choose to bring a first date. She found herself being a bit impressed as the hostess led them to their table.

Throughout the drive, conversation had not been lagging. This trait was continued in the restaurant as they discussed favorite books, movies, colors, vacation places, and any and all other preferences. It was surprising to find out how close many of their preferences were.

By the end of the evening, Bella was astonished to realize that she had actually enjoyed the evening. Her thoughts had rarely strayed to Emmett, and she was instead caught up in finding out more about Edward. He was a much more interesting person than she had at first given him credit for.

Pulling up to Bella's house, Edward turned off the car and went around to open the passenger-side door. The cheerful banter that had flowed between them throughout the evening continued for the short walk to her door.

"So I come out only to find Jasper running past me holding a towel, and there's Em, bare assed and chasing after him. Seriously one of the funniest sights I've ever seen!"

Bella was laughing uncontrollably at Edward's colorful retelling of family history. She had to hold onto his shoulder to keep from completely collapsing as she gasped for air, and Edward found his hands landing on her waist as he joined her unrestrained mirth.

As each slowly caught their breath, they began to notice the current location of their hands. Bella unconsciously smoothed Edward's shirt over his shoulders, while his fingers imperceptibly tightened at her hips. Taking one hand to brush a strand of hair from her face, their gazes locked. Bella's breath caught at the intense green before her. She was instinctively leaning towards him when he suddenly took a shaky step backwards, his hands dropping to his side.

Hands that had so recently been at her side now ran through his hair nervously as he cleared his throat, looking everywhere but at her.

"Um, I guess I'll say goodnight then."

"Yeah," came her semi-incoherent response. "Goodnight." With that, she unsteadily unlocked her door. Once inside, she rested against the door, listening to his car drive away. _What the hell was that?_ This time, she had no answer.


	7. Confusion

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 7—Confusion **

Bella spent a fitful night after her date with Edward. Whenever she was just about to fall asleep, she would suddenly be struck by the image of green eyes.

Emmett's eyes were brown.

Why was she dreaming about Edward's eyes? The memory of him tucking the strand of her hair behind her ear and looking into her eyes was blazed into her brain. She couldn't think of any reason why he had made such an impact on her. Dozens of guys had performed the exact same motion without creating a tenth of the response as Edward's unpracticed one did.

Maybe it had something to do with the burning intensity that was in his eyes. Never had she felt as desired as Edward made her feel. _Get over yourself! He'd probably feel that way about any girl who took notice of him. _She inwardly flinched at the harsh judgment her mind made of him. _Oh get over it. Keep your eye on the prize, girl. This is about Emmett. Don't forget that. _Taking a deep breath, she forced aside all thoughts of the 'other' Cullen and tried to relax.

Twenty minutes later, she was still staring at the ceiling. Giving a cry of frustration, she threw the bed sheets off and sat up. _This has to stop_, she thought with finality. _I WILL NOT let him mess with my head like this. Starting tomorrow, the ball will be back in my court. I WILL get control back._ With her decision made, her mind finally settled enough for her to attempt sleep again. Finally she drifted off to sleep, where her dreams were filled with hazy thoughts of green eyes and bronze hair.

*****

The next morning dawned with promising blue skies. It was Saturday and the 'group' had planned to spend the day at the river. They were planning on meeting at the Cullen house and from there packing a picnic and driving out to the riverfront. Bella decided that now would be a perfect time to implement her new plan: Subdue Edward Cullen.

Voices from the kitchen drew her in from the front door. Once she got there, she was treated to the sight of Emmett, Edward, and Jasper all attempting to put food together under the direction of Rosalie, who was supervising.

"No, Jazz, cut the carrots into strips, not slices. It'll be easier to eat. Emmett! Why are you bringing tater sauce? We're packing salad and sandwiches."

"I know, but I figured we could use it when I catch a couple of fish."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "You have never caught a fish big enough to eat and you know it." Then she wrapped her arms around him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "You are so lucky I'm too in love with you to care, silly boy," she teased.

Bella turned her head away in embarrassment at witnessing yet another tender moment between Rosalie and Emmett. As a cover, she decided to implement her latest plan regarding Edward. Stepping behind him where he was washing vegetables in the sink, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Good morning," she breathed into his neck.

Goosebumps rose on his skin where it had been chilled by her breath. The sensation caught him so off guard that he dropped the lettuce he was rinsing. Scrambling to pick it back up before his fumble was noticed, the back of his mind registered that this behavior was somewhat different for Bella. It just seemed so much more…intimate than her previous actions.

His mind raced back to their date the previous evening. It had gone perfectly up to the point when he brought her back home. They had been laughing together and had somehow ended up much too close. He could see the flecks of gold in her chocolate eyes, could feel them drawing him in. Realizing he was probably invading her personal space, he'd stepped back. It was only later, as he tried to sleep, that he realized that she might have been leaning in towards him. When that thought came, his pillow received an undeserved but thorough beating.

Bella's arms now wrapped around his waist, with her cheek laid against his shoulder, gave him fresh hope that last night may not have been his only opportunity. In fact, the day's agenda of hanging out by the river might even afford some time for each couple to slip off for some private time. The thought of stealing Bella away for alone time caused him to drop the lettuce again.

"Edward! Stop dropping the poor produce, or I'll put you on slicing duties!" Rosalie teased.

"Trust me, sweetheart, you don't want Edward anywhere near knives. Do you want to see the scars on his hands?" Emmett gave a dramatic shiver.

"What scars?" Bella asked curiously, removing the vegetation to look at his hands closely.

"Em's exaggerating. I only have the one little one here." Edward pointed to a faint white scar on his thumb. "My mom was making me help her get dinner ready when I was a kid. She asked me to slice some tomatoes, and I got myself instead."

"Yeah, we couldn't tell what was Edward and what was tomato with all of that red stuff!" Emmett chortled. "Took awhile to even see where he was bleeding from!"

Bella shuddered. She hated blood, even the thought of it. For some reason, the thought of it being Edward's blood made the image even more abhorrent. She tried not to think about the reasons why.

Alice finally arrived just as the food was completed to Rosalie's satisfaction. They all packed onto their cars and headed out.

The river was beautiful. The spot was an unofficial "Cullen Spot" that the boys had found several years previously. Emmett claimed that it was the best location for fishing, though he had never caught anything noteworthy. He had never caught anything longer than four inches, truth be told.

Once they made it to the river, they spanned out, setting up the food, blankets, and Frisbees and fishing poles brought for amusement. Edward and Jasper headed out to gather wood to make a bonfire, while Alice and Rosalie retrieved the food from the car. That left Bella and Emmett to spread out blankets and bring out the toys. As their job was finished first, they began throwing the Frisbee back and forth while waiting for everyone else.

"So, how are things? Did you and Ed have fun on your date?" Emmett tossed his question along with the disc.

"It was nice," she answered noncommittally. "Missed hanging out with you guys though."

"Why?" Emmett was truly puzzled as he held onto the disc that he had just caught, taking an unconscious step closer. "Come on, are you telling me that you're not sick of us yet?" he teased, giving wink.

"Never!" she teased back, stepping closer.

Her face grew serious for a moment. "It's just…" she broke off, uncertain how to continue. "Have you ever felt something for someone that was so strong it scared you? Strong enough that you would do anything just to be near that other person." She gazed into his beautiful brown eyes, just a few shades lighter than her own, willing him to see the meaning behind her words. _It's you Emmett. It's always been you_.

Emmett's eyes widened at unexpected question. "I, uh, I think you should listen to your heart." He was decidedly uncomfortable having Bella reveal such personal thoughts about her feelings regarding his brother. Thankfully, Rosalie's voice called them out of their suddenly serious conversation.

"Em! I need some help with this! Can you tear yourself away from La La Land long enough to come help me?"

"Awfully bossy, isn't she?" Bella muttered under her breath.

"Well, she keeps me in line. Never lets me get away with anything," he winked. Bella's heart squeezed at the adoring look he turned toward Rosalie. Would he ever look at _her_ that way?

While Emmett was helping Rosalie, Edward and Jasper made their way back to the group with their arms filled with wood for their bonfire. Jasper immediately sought out Alice, who was carrying the last load from the car. Dropping the sticks he'd gathered, he rushed over to help her. Edward smiled slightly and shook his head. His best friend was so incredibly whipped.

Focusing on starting the fire, it took him awhile before he noticed that Bella was seated next to him, gazing into the flames. Reaching over, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the action reminiscent of the previous evening. Bella didn't look up from the fire, but her lips pulled upwards into a small smile. Edward could not stop staring at her. She was so incredibly beautiful. Touching her had been a reflex, an assurance that she was actually sitting beside him. Dropping his hand back down, he followed her gaze into the fire, trying to ignore the sparks that still made his fingers tingle after touching her.

Bella's thoughts were so far gone that Edward's action was hardly noticed by her. Instead, she was re-evaluating the plan and the choices that had brought her to this point in time. She could not get past the look of pure love that had been on Emmett's face when he had looked at Rosalie moments earlier. She had felt like an intruder seeing that look, as if she had seen something that was intended to be private.

When she had woken up that morning, her mind had been settled. She was going to reign in Edward and reassert her position as the dominant one in the relationship. She also had little fantasies of stealing a few precious alone moments with Emmett. Instead, after spending only a minute and a half alone with the man of her dreams, she was now considering chucking the whole scheme. And it was all because of one look that lasted for only half a second.

_Knock it off, Swan! So he looked at her. Big freaking deal! It's only because he doesn't know any better. Once the plan works, he'll be looking at _you_ that way. Besides, he said that you needed to follow your heart. Well, that's what this plan is all about—your heart._

Finally unable to stand listening to her circuitous thoughts any longer, she stood and went to find Alice. Pulling her away from Jasper, she headed along the shoreline where they could talk privately.

"Okay, what's up?" Alice broke the silence that had surrounded them since leaving the group.

Bella sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, unconsciously imitating Edward's favorite thinking gesture. "I don't know if I can keep doing this," she finally mumbled.

Alice jerked to a stop, whirling Bella around to face her. "What do you mean you don't think you can do this anymore?" her voice rose in disbelief. "We're so close! This is the best plan yet that we've tried, and you know it. We are hanging out with _Emmett Cullen_ on a nearly daily basis now. And you don't think you can do it anymore?"

"I'm sorry, Alice. I just…I don't know. It just seems…different…now."

"What do you mean 'different?'"

"I don't know what I mean, okay. I don't know anything anymore. I'm just—"

"What happened last night?" Alice cut her off. Bella's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden turn in the conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"Cut it out, Bella. I mean that before yesterday, you were all gung ho on this plan, same as me, and now, after one date with Geek Boy you're having second thoughts. Now tell me, what happened?"

"First off, don't call him Geek Boy, and second, nothing happened."

"First off, I call them like I see them, and second, bullshit nothing happened." Alice retorted.

"He's not a geek." Bella chose to address the less explosive of the two issues. At Alice's disbelieving look, she amended her statement. "Well, he's not a geek anymore. Besides, he's no worse than Jasper."

"Leave Jasper out of this." Alice bit back, surprising them both at her vehemence. _Where the heck did that come from?_ she wondered. "Now are you going to answer my question or not?"

"Fine," Bella sighed, "but you're going to be really disappointed because I meant it when I said nothing happened." She recounted the evening for Alice, who listened with an oddly thoughtful look on her face.

"So you see, nothing happened," Bella concluded.

There was a short pause before Alice spoke in a small voice, shattering Bella's mind frame with her words.

"You like him." It was not a question. Alice stated it exactly the same way she would affirm that the grass was green. Bella's jaw dropped in shock.

"No! I don't like him. That's ridiculous, why would I like him? You said it yourself, he's a geek and I am Bella _freaking_ Swan! I DO NOT like losers, and you know it."

Alice patiently watched Bella's mini tantrum. "Pretty strong words there, for someone who doesn't care. Besides, I believe it was you who said that he's not a geek anymore."

They both looked back along the shore to where the boys were playing Frisbee. Edward looked carefree as he caught the disc and tossed it towards Jasper in what looked to be the same movement. Bella had to admit that if she was an outsider looking at them, she would never guess that two thirds of the boys present had until recently been social outcasts. All three boys actually looked…hot. _Hmm, when did that happen? When did presentable become attractive and then hot?_

"Moving on," Alice focused them back on their previous subject. "Now that we know nothing happened last night, was there something that happened today that made you change your mind?"

Bella slumped her shoulders in capitulation. _May as well lay it all out there._ "Emmett and I were talking earlier, and then _she_ called him away on some errand. We started talking about her a bit, and he had a look in his eyes as he looked at her. It was…I think it was love, Alice. I mean real love, not that watered down stuff that we usually see. I guess I just…didn't want to ruin it for him." Bella's voice grew lower as she spoke, ending in a barely discernable mumble as she shifted the sand beneath her with her toes.

Alice thought for a moment, considering the new piece of information. Staring off in the distance, she slowly started nodding her head. "Okay. So here's the way I see it. Nobody knows about this little plan of ours except for us, right? So maybe we should just see what happens. You can't honestly say that it's torture to spend time with Edward, and Jasper's not too bad either. So we stay with our boys, have some fun, and what happens, happens. If Emmett ends up breaking up with her, we're nearby just in case. And if he doesn't, well, honestly I don't know of any other guys worth our time. If we end up wanting to be around someone else, then we 'break up' and move on, just like we planned in the first place."

Bella considered the new adjustment to their scheme. It made sense. Alice always seemed to make sense, no matter how far fetched her ideas were. Damned pixie. She was a little uneasy about the idea of tossing Edward to the side whenever she was done with him, but hadn't that been the plan all along? It seemed hypocritical to feel guilty about it now. Pushing down her inner confusion, she pasted on a practiced smile, nodded to Alice, and headed back towards the others. _What do I do now?_


	8. SlipUp

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 8—Slip-up**

Edward watched Bella return from her walk down the riverfront with Alice. From the looks of it, they had been having a pretty intense conversation. Both girls had stood stiffly, often with arms crossed. When they began walking back, Edward could not stop his feet from moving towards her, anxious to shorten the distance.

"Hey, are you okay?" His anxious eyes searched her face as he waited for her to answer.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Alice and I just had to talk about a class project we're working on." Bella pasted on a bright smile, but he could see that it never reached her eyes. She was lying, but he wasn't sure about what.

"O-kay. Well, we were just about to start eating lunch. Are you hungry?" She nodded and they returned to the others. Edward longed to smooth away the small worry lines around her eyes and reassure her that everything was going to be all right. He knew that he couldn't, though. They had grown closer over the last month, but he knew deep down that she was still a long way away from trusting him.

The food spread out on the blanket looked mouthwatering. He had to admit that Rosalie knew how to set out a decent spread, even if she was a bit domineering while supervising the assembly of said spread. As everyone began to help make the food disappear, conversation flowed easily among them. Only Edward seemed to be aware of the tension emanating from Bella and Alice. Neither of them said anything, however, so Edward followed their lead and kept his mouth shut as well.

After lunch had been cleared, Emmett challenged everyone to a fishing contest to see who could catch the largest fish. Only Jasper and Alice took him up on his challenge. Edward and Bella claimed to have no interest, and Rosalie stated that she preferred to just watch and read the magazine she had brought.

"Would you like to take a walk with me?" Edward held out his hand to help Bella up from where she was sitting. Bella shrugged and closed the book she had been reading before grasping his hand and allowing herself to be pulled up. Instead of pulling her hand back, she allowed him to hold on to it as they headed in the opposite direction from the walk she had previously taken with Alice. Alice gave a wink as they passed before turning her attention back to her fishing pole.

"Do you think she's going to catch anything?" she asked once they were out of earshot.

"As much as I'd love it if she could beat my brother and Jasper, I'm actually a bit worried that if she does catch something, she won't be able to reel it in and the fish will end up pulling her into the river." Bella was powerless to stop the laugh that emerged at the mental picture that Edward had created. The silence lasted for another few minutes until Edward broke it.

"So, are you really okay, or was that just a front you put on for everyone else?"

His question startled her. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I mean that there was enough tension between you and Alice at lunch that it felt like a physical force."

"A force eh?" Bella evaded with a teasing glint. "You mean like Star Wars?"

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of Star Trek, but you get the idea." Edward ducked his head slightly in embarrassment at revealing the inner nerd that still resided deep down. Pushing aside his chagrin, he waited for her to answer.

"It's nothing. Seriously, it's really nothing. Alice is just annoyed that I'm confused about the project, and I'm annoyed at myself because I'm confused too, so I really can't blame her, but there's still a lot of confusion and annoyance."

"Well, what's the project? Maybe I can help."

"Thank you, but I'll be fine. I just need to sort through some things and then I'll be right back on track." She attempted to convey her assurance be giving him a dazzling smile. It worked; he was definitely dazzled.

Edward looked deeply into her eyes as the smile slowly fell from her face, replaced by a look of concentration. Neither of them noticed that they had stopped walking, or that they were now too far away from the rest of the group to be seen. Edward's free hand seemed to rise of its own volition as it cupped her cheek, his thumb smoothing the soft skin underneath. Bella leaned slightly into the pressure, tilting her chin up towards him. Before he knew what he was doing, he leaned down, capturing her lips in his own.

Their kiss was slow and unhurried. It only lasted the length of a heartbeat, but both felt the full effect of what had happened between them. As he pulled back, he looked into her face to gauge her reaction. Relief flooded through him as she smiled slightly and squeezed the hand that she still held. At least she wasn't completely repulsed by his first attempt at kissing. He knew that he had certainly enjoyed it.

Bella was momentarily dazed. She could not seem to sort out the myriad of emotions and thoughts swirling through her. _He just kissed me. It was nice. But it wasn't Emmett._ _It may not have been Emmett, but when was the last time a guy kissed you without slobbering all over your face? He may not have slobbered, but it was definitely unpracticed. Of course it was unpracticed! Who in the world would he have to practice with? Jasper?_ At the last thought, she had to press her lips together to keep back the laugh that threatened to emerge. _Oh great. And now you're going into hysterics. Geez, Bella, get a grip! It was only a kiss from _Edward_ why the heck are you making such a big deal about it?_

Thinking back, it really was not a big deal, to her at least. Looking up at Edward, their perceptions apparently differed, she noticed with a smirk. Tugging his hand, she started leading him back up the river towards everyone else. She briefly worried about their exchange changing things between them, but she shook it off. If anything, it helped cement their status as boyfriend and girlfriend. It would actually be odd if they _didn't_ kiss, she reasoned, making herself feel a little better.

Alice watched their return closely. She knew that Bella was a bit messed up inside at the moment, and she really hoped that her sudden spurt of conscience wouldn't ruin everything they had been working toward for the last month. Well, the last three years, really. She was half afraid that Bella would call everything off while walking with Edward. From the looks of things, they were both relaxed. Actually, Edward looked extremely relaxed, and happy. _What in the world happened out there?_ She couldn't spare too much thought to the matter, though, as there was a sudden tug on her line.

After wrestling with the fish for a while, Alice finally managed to drag it to shore. It may not have been a record-breaking catch, but it was the only one that was caught all day—a fact that she could not resist teasing Emmett and Jasper about during the drive back.

To Bella's surprise, the next few weeks were not much different from before, except that there was much more hand holding and light kisses. Even more surprising was that Bella discovered that she was starting to like it. Kissing had never been one of her favorite activities in the past—most guys just used the opportunity to slobber on her and try to shove their tongues down her throat. Edward was surprisingly gentle and sweet, and he got better with each kiss. Slowly, his confidence was growing. He began holding her longer, tangling his hands in her hair as his lips danced with hers to their own music. He was still hesitant to kiss in front of an audience, but he became bolder about seeking her out privately or orchestrating opportunities to be alone.

It was not much of a surprise, therefore, when Edward asked Bella to take a drive with him one day after school.

"Are you really not going to tell me where we're going?" Bella tried to keep the slight whine out of her voice without much success.

Edward smugly shook his head. "What would be the fun in that?"

Bella huffed and settled back to stare out the window. She hated surprises. Surprises meant that she had no idea what was coming, and it made her feel weak and powerless. Sure, giving surprises was fine; she just hated being on the receiving end.

Finally, Edward pulled to a stop at a dead end. Bella looked around. There was nothing there. All she saw was dead grass and debris and a sign declaring a dead end. _No shit it's a dead end, Sherlock. _

"Umm, this is…nice. Thank you?" Bella sent a questioning look to her left.

Edward just laughed and got out of the car, coming around to let her out.

"Come on, there's something I want to show you."

"You mean other than this beautiful place you brought me to?" she deadpanned.

He just rolled his eyes and tugged her along to a path that had escaped her notice. _Good thing I'm not wearing heels today _she thought with relief.

They walked for about fifteen minutes before he pulled her off the path. Bella stopped, refusing to leave the well-worn trail. Edward looked back confusedly, wondering why she had stopped.

"Come on, it's this way," he motioned.

She shook her head. "No way. I'm not leaving the trail."

"Why? The trail doesn't go where we're headed."

"Then maybe we shouldn't go. I don't want to be shot at for trespassing, I don't know about you. Did you ever think that maybe there's a path for a reason?"

"Did you ever think that sometimes you need to get off the path to find the best things in life?"

Bella thought for a moment. "I like the path. It's safe. There's no snakes or poison oak or tree limbs waiting to trip me."

"Bella," he pleaded, "don't you trust me?"

Looking into the vibrant green eyes that bore into her own, she suddenly realized that she did trust him. That realization brought no comfort, however, only fear. _When did I let him get so close? Damn it! This is going to be harder than I thought._

Allowing herself to be led off the reassuring trail, she followed him deeper into the woods. They were both content with the silence. Bella used the time to attempt to bring order to her frenzied thoughts. _Okay, so I trust him. Now what? Now what, what? It's not like it really changes anything. You still have the plan. Besides, you only trust him because he hasn't done anything to make you distrust him—yet. That's the thing—yet. You know sooner or later that he'll do or say something to put him back in the category of untrustworthy jerk, just like the rest of him. But what if he doesn't? What if he's the one guy I can actually trust? Then he should make a great brother-in-law once you get Emmett._

Visions of Emmett played across her mind. They had recently gone swimming, and the sight of his bulging muscles finally being revealed instead of hiding under a shirt was nearly intoxicating. Bella and Alice had actually had to steady each other when he had stripped down to his swim trunks. He was so beautiful; it was almost hard to look at him some times. The memory of watching his lithe body slipping through the water brought the edges of her lips up. She imagined being able to touch him; to be able to trace the lines of his perfect chest and stomach and smooth his hair, wiping the water from his face as he pulled himself out of the water.

Edward suddenly stopped in front of her, abruptly pulling her from her daydreams. For an instant she felt a flash of guilt, as if he could read her thoughts and knew whom she was just dreaming about. A glance at his face assured her that this was not the case.

He was looking straight ahead. Following his gaze, she saw that they were in the most beautiful meadow she had ever seen. It was a natural clearing, lined by the ancient trees they had been walking around along the way. The grass was soft with sprinklings of wildflowers interspersed. The sight was breathtaking.

"Edward," she managed to get out, "it's gorgeous."

"Nothing compared to you," he smiled down at her.

Bella blushed and tried to duck her head, but he was having none of it. Cupping her face, he urged her to look at him again. "I'm glad you like it. It's my favorite place to come and be alone. I've never told anyone else about this place, but I wanted to share it with you. And you're right, it is pretty, but I meant what I said, it's nothing compared to you."

With that, he captured her lips. His kiss began much like his other kisses, slow and gentle. Gradually, though, they became more urgent. His lips began moving more forcefully, catching Bella up in their movements. Opening her mouth slightly, she encouraged him to deepen the kiss further, which he happily obliged. What had started innocently enough was rapidly becoming less so as both of their hands began roving, tangling in hair and pulling each other closer. Bella's mind was jumbled into a mass of confusion.

"Bella," Edward sighed as he took a short breath.

Bella responded with a moan. "Oh, Emmett."


	9. The Fall

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 9—The Fall**

"_Bella," Edward sighed as he took a short breath._

_Bella responded with a moan. "Oh, Emmett."_

*****

Edward froze. "What did you say?"

Bella looked up at him, disoriented from his sudden lack of movement, trying to remember what she had indeed said.

"Did you just say 'Emmett'?" Her eyes widened in horror as she realized that she had said the wrong name. A dozen emotions played across Edward's face—hurt, confusion, devastation. Her eyes fell to the ground, unable to take the sight of his pain.

"Bella?" he prodded. "Why would you say my brother's name?" He paused as she continued to avoid eye contact. "Is there something I don't know about?" Inside, his mind worked frantically to come up with some reason why on God's green earth his girlfriend would say _his brother's_ name while they were kissing. _Maybe it was just a mistake. Please say it was a mistake. Maybe she just slipped up; maybe she was thinking about him for some other reason than imagining that he was the one…oh God, please say it was a mistake!_

Bella tried to think quickly. She tried to think of some excuse for saying his name, but any ideas she came up with seemed flimsy. The guilt pressing in on her was finally too much. She couldn't keep lying to him, not any more. It was time to come clean.

"Edward…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Any vestiges of hope that he had left dissolved at her words. _She's sorry? Sorry for what…for saying 'Emmett'? For the kiss? For going out with a loser like me in the first place?_ Each thought stabbed at him, driving the pain deeper. Drawing in a shuddering breath, he willed the ache to subside. "What, exactly, are you sorry for?" he asked, calmer than he would have thought possible.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"What did you mean, then?" Anger and disbelief began creeping into his voice.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," she mumbled, eyes still downcast. "All I wanted was to have a chance to get closer to him. I loved him so much." She suddenly looked up, capturing him with her eyes. "Have you ever wanted someone so much that it hurt? So much that you'd do anything just to get closer? Anything, so that maybe, just maybe, he'd look up and see that you were right for him all along and that you'd been waiting for him to just open his eyes?"

Edward stared down into the brown orbs that pleaded with him for understanding. The crazy thing was that he did understand. He understood better than she could imagine. _Can't you see, Bella? It was that way for me with_you_? How could you do this to me?_His eyes squeezed shut against the world around him. The meadow that had seemed so beautiful moments before was now tainted from the utterance of a single word and its aftermath.

Slowly opening his eyes again, he gave her one last, long look, then turned and walked away. It took everything in him to leave her there, ignoring the tears running down her cheeks. Part of him wanted to hold and comfort her. A larger part wanted to shake her and yell at her in his pain and frustration. Unable to do either, he left her, unable to remain any longer.

Bella watched him walk away. She couldn't move. She was transfixed to the spot; paralyzed by the heartache she had seen in his face. Remorse flooded her. How could she have hurt such a kind person? All she had wanted was a chance to be with the love of her life. Why did Edward have to pay the price for her chance?

She had no idea how long she stood there, staring into emptiness. The tears had ceased to flow, and were now dried on her skin. Gradually, she realized that it was growing colder, and she wished she had grabbed her jacket from Edward's car. _Edward…car…jacket. Holy crap!_She gasped at the realization that she had no way to get home. Not only did she have no way to get home, but also she had no idea where she was. _Damn it!_

Having no better ideas, she started off in the direction that Edward had left. With any luck, she might find the trail he had led her off of. It took some time, but she managed to find the faint trail just as dusk was starting to settle. The trees, which had seemed so beautiful earlier, were now mere silhouettes against the growing darkness.

By the time she reached the road, the only light came from the moon, which was blessedly full enough to grant sufficient light so she wouldn't fall and break her neck. _I'd certainly deserve it, though. How the hell do I let myself get talked into these situations by Alice?_ _Wait a minute…Alice!_ Whipping out her cell, she called her friend for a ride. It took a while to explain where she was, but eventually, Alice was on her way, talking to her all the while on her phone.

Approaching headlights alerted Bella to Alice's arrival, for which she was very thankful. It had been a long walk and an even longer day, and she was exhausted. Surprisingly, Alice was not alone, though it explained how she was able to drive and talk to Bella at the same time. Jasper was seated behind the steering wheel, looking very concerned at her bedraggled state.

Alice gasped when she saw her. "Bella! What the heck happened?"

Bella crawled into the backseat, groaning in relief at finally being able to rest. "I'll tell you later. Just please, take me home?" With a glance towards Alice, Jasper made a U-turn and drove silently to Bella's house. Alice just pursed her lips. She knew she'd find out what happened eventually. For right now, though, she would simply have to bide her time.

*****

Edward hardly knew how he made it back home. He didn't remember walking back to his car or driving home. He didn't remember walking up to his room, ignoring Emmett's calls of concern. He didn't remember locking the door behind him or falling onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. The only thing he did remember was Bella's tear-stained face and her piercing confession. Bella. How could she have done that to him? What had been her plan? To butter him up with kisses so that maybe he'd put in a good word for her with his brother? It was ridiculous! It was so outlandish that if he hadn't heard her confess it with her own two lips, he never would have believed it. The Bella he knew was sweet and innocent, sarcastic and feisty, loyal and kind. _Maybe I never really knew her at all. _The thought hurt almost as much as her betrayal.

Edward curled his knees up to his chest. If only there was some way to seal up the hole gaping in his chest from which his heart had bled out. In his mind, he replayed image after image of Bella joking with him, smiling at him, kissing him. Had it all been a lie? Had it all been just a ploy to get closer to his brother? Did he mean nothing to her at all?

_No, I didn't. I meant nothing to her at all._Anger was starting to crowd out the pain, pushing it further down. _She used me, and I meant nothing at all to her. She probably saw me as no more than a puppy, obeying every word she said, happy just to bask in her presence._He replayed his interactions with her, becoming increasingly disgusted at his own behavior. When had he grown so spineless? When had he allowed her judgment to overrule his own? _And what the hell did she expect me to do after her plan worked anyway? Just roll over and pretend like nothing had ever happened between us while she dated my brother?_ By this point he was seething.

"Edward? What's going on, man? Are you okay?" Emmett's concerned voice carried through the door. Pressing his lips in determination, Edward stood to unlock the door and let a worried Emmett inside.

"Have a seat Em. There's something I need to tell you." Emmett's eyebrows rose at the uncharacteristic bitterness in his brother's face. _ Payback is a bitch._

*****

"That bitch!" Emmett roared. "She actually thought dating you would make me _like_ her? It's crazy!"

"I know. And I agree, it is crazy. Borderline certifiable. The question is: what should we do about it?"

A wicked gleam came to Emmett's eye; a gleam that Edward had learned a long time ago to be wary of. "I don't know what we should do, but I know someone who does." Pulling out his phone, he called Rosalie. It was time to make Bella Swan pay.

*****

Pulling into the school parking lot the next day, Bella could tell that there was something different. It was as if there was an ominous presence, one that she could sense before even getting out of her car. She tried to shrug it off as she walked to her locker, blaming it on residual guilt from her confrontation with Edward the previous day.

Passing by groups of students milling in the halls, she couldn't help but notice that they seemed to quiet whenever she drew closer. Having participated in this behavior herself in the past, she recognized it for what it was—they had just been talking about her.

Normally, she had no problem being talked about. Actually, it was rather enjoyable when others were so interested in you that they talked about you even when you weren't there. She would overhear ego-boosting comments about her appearance or athletic ability, or something that she had done that was awe-inspiring.

Something told her that any comments overheard today would not hold the same effect.

"_Dude, I heard that she totally stalked him last year. He even had to get a restraining order."_

"_Do you think it's true that she stole a pair of his boxers and she wears them every day?"_

"_I heard that she keeps calling him and then hanging up. Her dad is flipping out over the phone bill!"_

"_I passed by her locker the other day while it was open, and she had a whole shrine to him in it. Totally voodoo freaky crap."_

Alice was suddenly at her side, tugging her by the elbow into an empty classroom. Whirling around, she started firing her questions.

"What the heck is going on? They're calling you a stalker. What happened?"

Bella sighed. "He knows."

Alice's eyes went wide. "Emmett?" she squeaked.

"No, Edward. But I'm sure Emmett knows by now too."

"Whoa, whoa, how did Edward find out?"

"I told him." Bella hung her head.

"I'm sorry, I must have hallucinated, because I thought I heard you say THAT YOU _FREAKING_ TOLD HIM!"

Bella winced at the punishment her eardrums received at Alice's pitch. "Yes, I told him." She relayed the scene at the meadow, ending with being picked up by Alice and Jasper. When she finished, Alice was deep in thought.

"Well, that explains the gossip that's been going on about you stalking Emmett. It's obvious that Rosalie is behind that move. There's no way those boys would come up with that plan on their own."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Bella agreed.

"Hmm."

"That's all you can say? 'Hmm'?"

"Well what do you expect me to say? You told your boyfriend that you were only dating him to get close to his brother and you're surprised that there's repercussions?"

"Need I remind you that it was _you_ who came up with this plan in the first place?"

"You're right, I know. You should just tell him that I forced you into it. He's known me long enough to believe it."

"No, that wouldn't solve anything. Besides, then they'd be after both of us, instead of just me." She looked at the door separating her from her classmates. "Well, time to face the music." With a slight smile to Alice, she pushed through, entering the hall just in time to hear the next string of gossip.

"_Did you hear she sneaks into his room to watch him when he sleeps? Talk about creepy!"_

*****

Until today, lunch had been one of Bella's favorite times of the day. It provided her with the perfect opportunity to feel the pulse of the school, listening to new information and assessing the reactions of her classmates. It never ceased to amaze her that the validity of a rumor was unimportant. The only thing that mattered was sensationalism. The juicier the rumor, the faster it spread. When she and Alice had tried spreading rumors about Rosalie years ago, it was an advantage, even though it failed. Now that the rumors were about her, what had seemed a benign amusement had taken on sinister undertones.

Before the door to the cafeteria had closed behind her, the entire room suddenly quieted. Bella pretended not to notice as she walked to her usual table. Once she was seated, the rest of the school began talking again, the noise louder than when she had first entered. A glance over at the Cullen table quelled any lingering wonderment over who had started the rumors. Everyone seated there was glaring at her, Rosalie's expression particularly hate-filled. The one exception was Jasper. He looked hurt, but not livid. Bella wondered why the disgust was missing, but a sudden movement to her left pulled her from her musings.

Alice plopped her tray down next to her on the table. "Well that was interesting," she huffed, taking a seat. "Some guy just asked me if it was true that you have pictures of Emmett plastered all over your walls."

"What did you tell him?"

She snorted. "I told him 'of course not, she has pictures of you in her room. Emmett's pictures are in the family room for everyone to enjoy.'"

"Who was it?" Bella asked with amusement.

"Mike." Her amusement ceased.

"Mike? As in, 'let's ask Bella out at least once a month' Mike?"

"That's the one."

"Alice!" she hissed.

"Do you want to hear the rest of the story?" Alice asked pointedly.

"I'm not so sure that I do," she grumbled.

Ignoring her, Alice continued. "As I was saying, I said that you had pictures of him in your room, and he said 'really?' And I told him 'hell no! Who do you think she is, you?'" They both started to giggle at the remembrance of the time in their sophomore year that Mike had tried relentlessly to get as many photos of Bella as he could. He had been claiming that it was all to test out his new camera, but for two months Bella felt as if she had her own personal paparazzi.

As the giggling died down, Bella realized anew the situation she, and now Alice through association, was in. "Alice, what are you doing here?" she suddenly asked. "You know they're going to make your life hell too just because you're sitting with me."

"Relax, Bella. 'Chicks before dicks,' remember?" she winked; referencing the slogan they had come up with in middle school.

"Yeah I remember." Bella smiled sadly. "Thanks, Alice."

"Don't worry about it," she brushed it off. "Now, how are we going to fix this situation? We need a plan."

"No!" Alice was startled at the sudden vehemence in Bella's tone. "No, we do not need another plan. Our plan is what got us into this mess in the first place. The last thing we need is another one."

"Then what do you suggest? We just roll over and let them continue to socially ruin you?"

"It doesn't matter," she sighed, suddenly very tired. "We're almost halfway through our last year. By September, we'll be in college, eons away from everyone we've ever known in Forks, and it won't matter. Besides, it's no more than I deserve." The last part of her statement completed draining her, as the guilt came crashing in like an ocean wave, irresistible and powerful. She placed her head on the table, suddenly too tired to keep holding it up.

Alice remained silent; knowing that anything more said at the moment would fall on deaf ears. Rubbing Bella's back soothingly, she thought over the recent events. After she and Jasper had dropped Bella off, they had gone back to her place to continue hanging out. She wasn't sure why, but somehow she had become more interested in spending time with Jasper than Emmett. There was something about him that drew her in, something even more powerful than her attraction for Emmett.

They had not been back at the house for long when Jasper's phone started ringing. After a quick conversation with Edward, he had left, saying that he was needed at the Cullen house. If she had known that that was the last time she'd be able to see him amicably, she wouldn't have let him leave with a kiss on the forehead. Looking over at him now, she could see that he was as miserable as she was. A twinge of guilt pierced her at the consciousness that he was unaware of her own part in the scheme. As far as he knew, they were only separated because of their feuding friends, not because she had a personal role in the scenario. She wondered if he realized yet that his situation paralleled Edward's almost exactly. She selfishly hoped he didn't.

*****

A hush had fallen over the cafeteria at Bella's entrance. That alone was what alerted Edward to her presence, not the suddenly heightened state of awareness that he always entered into whenever she was near. _Yeah, keep telling yourself that_.

Rosalie's face was pulled into an unfamiliar expression as she watched Bella walk to her table. It was a mixture of vindictiveness and satisfaction. Even though Edward knew that she looked that way for his sake, there was still a part of him that wanted to intervene for Bella's sake and protect her from the glares she was receiving. Torn between polar opposites, he did nothing. Nothing except watch.

When he had first explained the situation to Emmett, who had then explained it to Rosalie and Jasper to spare him the retelling, he had found a perverse pleasure at their rallying support. Rosalie had come up with the idea of spreading around rumors, alerting the other students to her secret infatuation. She said the idea had come to her because of some events that had happened her first year at Forks, when some strange stories had been circulating around her.

"_The trick is to make them believable. The rumors about me were so blatantly false, that they didn't stick. We won't make the same mistake."_

Edward remembered the malevolent gleam in her eye when she had mapped out their plan. At first, he had been so angry that any idea that would result in Bella getting hurt sounded like a good one. That feeling had only lasted until he had seen her again, though. Once he saw her face, he regretted ever agreeing to anything that would cause her pain. He knew she deserved it, but he still felt protective of her. Watching her walk silent and alone amongst the student populace, he felt a stab of guilt that was now becoming familiar.

She looked different. The difference wasn't blatant, but it was definitely there. He tried to figure out what it was that made her look so changed. She was still beautiful, though her eyes were now fixed straight ahead instead of glancing around confidently. She was still dressed in clothes designed to make a boy drool, though the slight slump of her shoulder ruined the designer's original intent. Yet it wasn't any of these things that made her look so altered to him. It was something much more subtle. He pondered for a minute before it came to him. Innocence. She had lost the air of innocence that Edward had attributed to her. She had fallen from the pedestal he had placed her on. She was now human with human foibles.

Looking at her now, with her head resting on the table, he had to fight to keep himself in his seat. He wanted to be the one next to her, stroking her back soothingly. Irrationally, he was jealous of Alice being able to do the ministrations that he wanted to do. He found that he had to remind himself that he was angry with her, that she had betrayed him. He wasn't sure why it was so hard to remember, only that it was nearly impossible to hold on to his own pain in the face of hers. _Bella, why did you do it? Why couldn't you have been honest with me? I would have done anything for you. Why?_ He pushed his thoughts aside forcibly. It did no good now to wonder at her motives, he reminded himself bitterly. The plan had been set in motion. The only thing to do now was to sit back and watch it play out.


	10. Reversal

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 10—Reversal **

The ringing bell signaled the end of lunch. _Finally_. Lunch had been tortuous. For Bella, because of the stares and rumors. Edward because he had to watch it. Jasper, because he felt torn between his best friend and Alice, and Alice, because she knew that she should be tortured just as much if not more than Bella, except that no one else knew about her part in the deception. It was a relief to leave the cafeteria and go to class.

Edward took a deep breath as he grabbed his bag and headed to class, relieved that lunch was finally over. Until, of course, he remembered which class he had next. Biology. The one class that he had with Bella. Hesitating, he gave some serious thought to skiving, but decided against it. _I'm not going to give her the satisfaction of letting her think I ran away. It's my class, and if she wants to avoid me, then she can skip. _Besides, he had never skipped a class before, and he wasn't about to start now.

Once inside, he saw that her seat was blessedly empty. Relieved, he sank into his own seat two rows behind her empty chair. At least this way he wouldn't have to walk past her.

Two minutes later, Bella walked into the room with her head lowered so that she could avoid the stares of her classmates. She had nearly made it to her seat when a foot was suddenly placed in her path, causing her to trip. For the briefest of moments, Edward nearly jumped out of his seat to catch her, but he remained seated. His efforts would have been unnecessary anyway, as Bella managed to regain her balance before falling. She glared at the offender, who feigned innocence as she turned in her seat to talk to the girl next to her.

Bella pondered the new development as she lowered herself carefully into her chair. The rumors were unexpected, but not shocking. Throwing around dirt at people who were disliked was a common enough occurrence. Deliberately tripping her, however, was a whole different level altogether. No one would have dared trip her before today, especially not on purpose. She may not have been the most popular girl in school, but she was among the most influential. Staring at the foot that still rested in the aisle, she felt some of that power start to slip from her grasp.

*****

By the end of the day, Edward was very proud of himself. He had managed to avoid Bella all day, despite seeing her occasionally in between classes, and at lunch, and in Biology, and in the parking lot, and in his mind, and when he closed his eyes. Okay, so maybe he hadn't avoided her as completely as he had thought. _At least I didn't have to talk to her, though. There's no way I could have handled that._ It was uncomfortable to realize that, no matter how much he despised her for using him, there was still a part of him that wanted to be with her. _Knock it off! It is never going to happen with you and Bella! Suck it up, put on your big boy pants, and move on._ Pushing aside his conflicting emotions, he sealed them up behind a wall of hatred. He forced himself to replay every moment, every conversation, every nuance of his time with Bella over the last month and a half. Each encounter was now seen as having sinister overtones as he remembered them in light of Bella's deception. Thinking back to how he had changed over his time with her, he began hating himself even more. He had completely reinvented himself for her, and it had still not been enough. _I would never have been enough for her. I was the wrong brother._ Seizing the errant thought that threatened to send him into another depression, he sealed it up behind his newly constructed wall, along with the rest of his heart.

*****

Throughout the week, Bella was treated with the same disdain from the student populace that had greeted her that first day. The rumors had now moved beyond her obsession with Emmett and were now fully concentrated on exposing her every fault. Walking down the halls, she would now hear disparaging remarks about her clothes being slutty, her attitude being bitchy, and the disdain she treated others with. They mused aloud that it was no wonder she had no real friends, aside from Alice, who was reputed to be just as bad as Bella in the conniving bitch department. Wherever she went, she was met with sneers and turned shoulders. It was now painfully clear that the jealousy of the other girls would no longer be held in check for fear of her vicious tongue. Going after the popular boyfriend of a very popular head cheerleader by dating his geeky brother was intolerable, no matter who tried it. The fact that the other girls had been dying for a chance to get out of her shadow for years just made them pounce on the opportunity with increased enthusiasm.

By the end of the next week, Bella's new ambition was to blend in. If people didn't notice you, they tended not to talk about you. Her form-fitting clothes that highlighted her assets were now exchanged for baggy clothes and sweatshirts. Instead of spending an hour each morning on her hair and make-up, she just pulled her hair into a ponytail and left the make-up off. The only times she somewhat resembled her former self was at the school rallies when she would wear her cheerleader outfit.

Her deterioration was difficult to watch. Alice tried everything she could think of to pull Bella out of her downward spiral, but to no avail. Every time she attempted to improve Bella's appearance, she would receive the same response of it not being worth it. Alice was truly becoming concerned. She saw how the whole school had turned against her best friend. They had turned against her as well, but to a slightly lesser degree. Finally, she decided to do the only thing she could think of to do in the situation. Even though it might not make any difference, she knew that it was the right thing to do. She was going to tell the truth.

*****

Driving to Jasper's house that night was one of the hardest things she had ever done. As she waited nervously for him to answer the door, she had to fight every instinct that told her to run for the car while she still could. Bringing the image of Bella from earlier in the day, being taunted and sneered at strengthened her resolve. There was no way she was going to leave her friend alone to suffer while she carried on with her own life.

The smile on Jasper's face nearly undid her conviction. He slowly sobered his expression as he took in her uncharacteristically serious look. The grin fading off of his face panged at her, as she knew he was going to look a whole lot more forlorn before the day was out, and it would be her fault.

"Can I come in?" she asked nervously. Wordlessly, he stepped back and opened the door wider, granting permission. She walked in to the family room, as stiffly as if she was marching towards a firing squad. Coming up behind her, Jasper took her hand and led her to the sofa, where they sat side by side. He retained her hand. _Better enjoy it while you can, girl, because he's not likely to touch you anytime soon after he knows the truth_.

"Alice, what's wrong?" His concerned eyes bore into hers, and she briefly toyed with the idea of brushing it off and pretending she was upset about something else entirely. _Stop being such a coward and tell him!_ She took a deep breath and began.

"I have something to tell you." She broke off, but his eyes encouraged her to continue. "It's about what happened between Bella and Edward." Jasper's eyebrows flew up in surprise at the unexpected turn the conversation took. "You know how Bella told him that she had a plan to get closer to Emmett by dating Edward? Well, I…sort of…came up with the plan." Her voice lowered throughout the last sentence.

"What do you mean?" Alice steeled herself against what she knew had to be said.

"I mean that Bella and I have both been after Emmett for a while now, and it was my idea to use Edward as a way in. I told her to date Edward. I'm the one who came up with the stupid plan. It was all my fault. _It was all my fault._" She ended with a whisper.

After a tense pause, Jasper interjected, "how do I fit into all of this?"

"You didn't, not really. You were just my excuse to always be around Bella and Emmett."

He paused again.

"So, let me see if I have this right: you used Edward to get to Emmett, and you used me to get to Edward."

"Basically." She was amazed that Jasper was still speaking in calm, even tones. She had thought the yelling would have already started by now, but so far, he had not even raised his voice.

"Well then, I have to ask, was any of it real?"

By now tears were pooling in her eyes. She should have been prepared for the question, but in truth, she had avoided thinking about it. Was any of it real? She had never pretended about enjoying his company. She had genuinely enjoyed spending time with him. Aside from Bella, he was the only person she had truly been herself around. So, was it real?

"Yes. When I was with you, yes it was real," she murmured.

"Okay." She froze, looking up in confusion.

"'Okay'?"

"Yes, okay. I'm not going to lie, it hurts that you used me, but I'm not going to let it get in the way of us."

"Why?" she cried before she could stop herself.

"Because I've seen what it's done to Edward and Bella, and I don't want to go down that road," he answered lowly. Cupping her face, he continued. "Alice, I love you. I know that we haven't said that before, and I know that my timing probably sucks, but it's the truth. I love you. To be honest, I think I knew something was going on that first day we met to go shopping. I knew that there was no way that Bella Swan and Alice Brandon would suddenly be so interested in me and Ed without some hidden motive. At first I just thought it was a dare or something, but I ended up falling for you that day. I decided that I didn't care. All I wanted was to be able to be around you. If that lasted a day, a week, a year, I'd take whatever I could get. I just wanted you."

The tears that had been pooling in her eyes were now streaming unchecked down her cheeks. "Why?" she ground out. "Why do you love me?"

He smiled, smoothing away her tears with his thumb. "Because you're kind, you're generous, you are incredibly beautiful, and you're the most loyal person I know. But if you want to know the real reason, it's just because you're you. You are my other half. Life just doesn't fit right without you." Leaning in, he kissed her gently, sealing his declaration.

Alice had no idea how she had become so fortunate that he could love her. She had never thought such love existed in the real world. Thinking back to what she had thought was love for Emmett was now revealed to be so paltry and shallow that it was laughable. The completion she felt with Jasper was beyond anything she could have dreamt.

"I love you too," she sighed.

For a long time afterward, they sat and just held each other. Both were reluctant to move from their spot, knowing that once they did they would have to deal with the rest of the world and its problems. Finally, it was time to address the issue of their wayward friends.

"So what are we going to do about Bella and Edward?" Alice hesitantly asked, playing with the hand that she had not released since sitting down.

"I don't know. Edward is incredibly stubborn, and she hurt him pretty bad. Honestly, I'm not so sure there's much we can do."

"Do you think if you explained it to him that it was all my fault that it would help?" He pondered for a moment.

"I really don't think it will. We can give it a try, but frankly I don't see him caring too much about who came up with the idea, only that it was executed."

"Can we try at least?"

"For you, anything," he whispered against her lips.

True to his word, Jasper informed Edward of the complete story the following morning. Just as he had suspected, it had no effect.

"Who the hell cares who started the whole thing? The fact is that no one forced Bella to do that to me. _She_ chose to do what she did. _She_ chose to use me like that."

Edward stormed away from his best friend, anger clouding his vision so much that he was hardly aware of the other students around him. It did not matter too much, though, as everyone stayed out of his way. Ever since Bella had started with his makeover nearly two months previous, ha had been treated with more respect. Whenever he thought about it, which wasn't often, he scoffed at how shallow everyone was for treating him better simply because he dressed like everyone else and was dating a pretty girl. At the moment, he was merely grateful that he no longer had to watch out for tripping hazards that would 'suddenly' appear wherever he was walking in between classes.

He was abruptly pulled out of his anger haze by the impact of a soft body against his own. Looking down, he saw blue eyes blinking up at him. With a look of mock-chagrin, the girl began apologizing for 'accidentally' bumping into him. His first thought was to just dismiss it and continue on his way, when he suddenly became aware of the fact that her hands were still resting on his chest. With a start, he realized that she was hitting on him. _Seriously? I'm getting hit on by a girl? That's actually kind of cool. Hmm, she's kind of cute, I guess. _

Deciding to take a chance, he offered her his arm. "Maybe I should walk you to class to make sure you don't have anymore 'accidents'," he winked. To his relief and amusement, she giggled and told him that maybe he should. After he dropped her off at her classroom, he pondered the new development. Following the incident with Bella, he had decided to keep wearing the new clothes he had bought. He had started to like them and the response that he got from others when he wore them. Now that he was single, it seemed that girls were smiling at him a lot more than before. Up until the collision that he had just had a moment before, he had deduced that it had probably been a fluke or a coincidence. Now he was not so sure. Was it possible that after all this time girls were starting to _like_ him?

Knowing he had a few minutes before the start of class, he stepped into the boys' room to check his reflection. For a moment, he just studied himself as he pretended to just wash his hands. After much effort, he had finally been able to achieve the tousled look that the stylist had taught him to do. His clothes fit him just right, hinting at the toned muscles underneath—muscles that existed thanks to Emmett's continued prodding on working on his self-defense techniques. His thin rim glasses framed his eyes and made him look a bit older than his actual age. All in all, he thought he looked pretty good. He smiled. Maybe it was time for an emergence of a new Edward Cullen.


	11. Roller Coaster

**For the Love of Emmett **

**Chapter 11—Roller Coaster**

After his revelation, Edward strode confidently to his next class. He noticed the eyes of the females inside as he entered, and saw the way some of them suddenly lit up as he came closer. _Hmm, maybe it really wasn't a fluke._ Remembering the incident from before, his thoughts strayed on the petite brunette with blue eyes.

They had not had much time to talk as he walked her to her next class, but she seemed very…perky. Walking next to him, she seemed to have so much energy that he half expected her to start bouncing at any given moment. The curls in her hair framed her heart shaped face that never seemed to stop smiling. Her energy seemed to be a force on its own, and he found himself being drawn in.

At the end of class, he quickly returned to the room he had left her in so that he could see her again. He knew that her name was Jessica, and that she was on the cheer squad with Rosalie and…_her_, but he didn't know much else about her, at least not yet.

She seemed surprised, yet pleased, to find him waiting for her, leaning against the wall.

"I thought I'd make sure you made it to your next class without incident," he teased.

She giggled. "Well, thank you for your assistance, sir," she replied in a mock serious voice.

They fell easily into conversation during their short walk, making plans to meet up again at lunch. As he left her to go to his own classroom, he thought about how easy it was to talk to Jessica. When he had talked with Bella, he was usually very nervous about saying something ridiculous, and he tried to monitor his words carefully, afraid to show too much of himself in case she rejected him. _Well, she ended up rejecting you anyway, didn't she? Looks like that plan failed._ Maybe with Jessica, he could really be himself. Or at least, not have to censor himself quite so much. The idea of being so free ignited a spark of hope. Hope of being accepted, hope of finally showing who he really was, hope of being desired for being him and not for who he was related to.

At lunch, he met Jessica just outside the cafeteria. After gathering their food, he led her to his usual table, much to the surprise of those sitting there. Rosalie and Emmett watched Jessica warily, nervous about Edward becoming hurt again so soon. Jasper was pleased for his friend, as it was a sign that he was starting to move on from his anger.

Edward sat down, with Jessica following his lead. Rosalie wasted no time in pulling her into conversation. She had failed with Bella by not making sure of her motives before things got too far. She was determined not to make the same mistake this time. Subtly, Rose began to gently grill her with questions, trying to get a feel for the girl. Edward was actually enjoying the interrogation, as he was finding out the answers to questions he would not have thought to ask on his own.

Jasper started to lose interest a few questions into the process. He could already tell that Jessica was a sweet girl, and that she simply hadn't noticed Edward before his change. He didn't think there was anything malevolent about her interest in his friend, but he knew that Rose and Em needed to make sure of that themselves. So, instead of focusing on her answers about her home life, friends, and interests, he distracted himself by watching Alice and Bella sitting across the room.

After Alice's confession, they had spent some time discussing how they would need to act around their friends. If either of them had sat at the other's table at lunch, it would ruin their friendships, and sitting at a table by themselves was not an option because then Bella would be completely abandoned. No, lunchtime was reserved for their friends. They knew that they would have plenty of time between classes and after school to spend together.

At the moment, Alice was unsuccessfully trying to convince Bella to do something more than pulling her hair into a ponytail everyday. They were so caught up in their banter that neither noticed the new addition to the Cullen table until Alice glanced over to look at Jasper. At first, she barely noticed, but a quick double take confirmed that there was indeed a new presence among the group.

Bella noticed her gasp and followed her gaze to the table. Jessica and Rosalie were laughing lightly at something that had just been said, Emmett had his arm draped around Rosalie's waist, and Edward was smiling and sitting very close to Jessica. Jasper was the only one who saw Bella's flash of pain before she averted her eyes.

Staring at the surface in front of her, she pondered why her chest felt as if there was a knife residing in it. Deep down, she knew that, for once, her thoughts were not focused on Emmett Cullen. No, it was the other Cullen who had her attention this time. _Why should I care that Jessica is sitting with Edward? It's not like I have any claim on the guy. Besides, he hates me._ Her thoughts only served to thrust the knife deeper. The pain paralyzed her, and she was barely aware of Alice trying to get her attention next to her. It was not until Alice was shaking her arm that she pulled herself out of her musings.

"Bella! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Bella attempted to pull off a look of assurance, but failed miserably. Looking into her face, Alice could see the pain there that she was trying to hide, and thought she had an idea of its source. She also knew that Bella would deny what was upsetting her to the end. Pressing her lips together, she decided to try and prod it out of her.

"So, did you see the newest addition to the Cullen table?"

"No, I didn't," Bella lied, her voice flat as she returned her focus to her hands stretched out in front of her.

"It looks like Edward and Jessica are getting cozy." Bella was unable to keep her eyes from flashing up to confirm Alice's assessment. Sure enough, their hands were very close together in front of them. They were not holding hands, not exactly, but they were touching. Bella felt unprepared for the burst of jealousy that coursed through her, and she battled it back, reminding herself that she had no reason to react in such a way.

"So it seems." She was slightly less able to keep her voice unemotional this time. Alice gave an inward smirk, knowing that she was starting to get to her.

"I wonder if they're going out now." Bella was unresponsive, aside from an almost imperceptible stiffening in her shoulders. "They make a cute couple, don't you think?" she taunted with fake innocence.

"I guess." Alice winced at the barely concealed pain in her friend's voice. She hadn't wanted to hurt her, just wake her up.

"Bella," she waited until she looked up, "stop it."

"Stop what?" She was truly confused.

"Stop this…this…air of martyrdom or whatever the hell it is that you have going on. When are you going to stop torturing yourself? A month? A year? Ten years? You need to snap out of it." Bella shot her an accusing glare. "Seriously, you can't even look at the guy without spiraling into self-loathing, and it needs to stop. You both deserve to be happy, and you won't until you stop punishing yourself."

"I'm not just punishing myself." Alice merely responded with a look of disbelief. "I'm not!" she argued back.

"Fine, whatever," Alice sighed, rolling her eyes. She'd come back to that topic again later. "But seriously, Bella, you have to see what's going on here. Do you really think you're doing this to yourself because you just feel guilty?"

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it Bella. What do you really feel when you look at him. Is it _really_ just guilt?" Bella's eyes widened as Alice's words began to sink in. The bell chose that most opportune of times to ring, saving her from answering. Alice stood, patting her on the shoulder. "Just think about it." Jasper came over to meet her and walk her to her next class. Bella simply sat there dumbfounded as the cafeteria slowly emptied.

_What the heck is Alice talking about? Something more than guilt? Why would I be feeling anything other than guilt? I mean, sure he's a great guy, and I miss spending time with him, but that's all that it is. Well, now that I think of it, I really miss spending time with him. I miss talking to him. He was always such a great listener. He was a great kisser too, especially once he got a little practice. Hmm, maybe she's talking about that. I mean, I haven't gone out with any guys in nearly two months, so clearly, I haven't kissed anyone in that period of time. Maybe Alice just wants me to get over it and start dating someone else._ The thought of going out with any other guy made her stomach clench as if she was about to be sick. It was almost as bad as the thought of him dating other girls. Her breath stopped in realization. _Oh my God, I _am_ jealous. I'm jealous over Edward Cullen. How messed up is that?_ She knew it was the truth. She was completely jealous of any girl spending time with her Edward. _Whoa, there. _Her_ Edward? Where did that come from?_ She continued to wonder why she was having these irrational feelings towards him as she blindly made her way to biology class, her mind lost in a haze of confusion. It wasn't until she entered the classroom and saw him sitting there that her roller coaster of emotions fused together to create one terrifying realization.

_I love him._

Even more terrifying was the thought that immediately followed.

_What the hell do I do now?_

**AN Sorry for the short chapter, but this is where it naturally ended. Fear not, though, I should have the next chapter up soon!**

**Thank you for all of the awesome reviews. You guys are great. Keep it up!**

**A special thank you to americnxidiot and dragonsexist who have been really supportive and have offered great suggestions and ideas. You are awesome!**


	12. Too Late

For the Love of Emmett

**Chapter 12—Too Late**

_I love him._

Even more terrifying was the thought that immediately followed.

_What the hell do I do now?_

*****

Bella froze inside the doorway, paralyzed with shock over her realization. The shuffling of students entering snapped her out of her daze, reminding her that she still hadn't moved. Slowly, she walked to her seat, keeping a watchful eye out for tripping hazards that tended to appear whenever she was inattentive. Sitting down, she pondered her new insight.

_I love him. I am in love with Edward_. _ Now what? He hates me. He won't even talk to me. It's useless; I'm too late. _She peeked over her shoulder at him and saw him lost in thought as the teacher droned on. He looked achingly beautiful to her. _How could I have not seen it before?_ Taking a shaky breath, she turned towards the front again. _I have to make it up to him. I don't know how, but I have to do something._

Edward noticed Bella's glance towards him as he ignored her. As usual, his pulse jumped whenever she looked at him. He wondered if her influence over him would ever go away. Then he wondered if he even wanted it to. _What do you mean you wonder if you want her influence on you to fade? Of course you want it to go away! What kind of masochistic moron are you? _Despite his protests, his body would not obey his mind, and his heartbeat stuttered again a few minutes later when she looked towards him again, this time under the guise of retrieving something from her bag. Again he outwardly ignored her, but he was acutely aware of her every movement, watching her from his periphery.

He was so caught up in trying not to notice her that he failed to notice that the bell had rung until he saw students filing out the door. Grabbing his bag, he started following his peers when a small voice behind him halted his feet.

"Edward?" Her voice was tiny, so quiet that he could have pretended he hadn't heard her. When he didn't move, she continued.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," her voice broke.

Her words ignited something inside him. Whirling around angrily, he glared at her, barely registering that they were now left alone in the classroom.

"You're sorry? Huh, let me think of the last time I heard you say that. Oh that's right, you said it after you _freaking said my BROTHER'S name! _When you were kissing ME! Gee, Bella, I wonder what you have to be sorry for."

For a moment, she was shocked. This was not the kind of behavior she was accustomed to see from Edward. With his blazing eyes, he seemed almost frightening. Pausing, she took a moment to regroup before continuing with what she knew she had to say.

"I know. I know I was an idiot. You didn't deserve what I did to you, and I'm so sorry that it happened." Her voice began to grow a little stronger through her admission.

Edward growled at her. "Damn right you were an idiot. And no, I didn't deserve what you did to me. Nice of you to finally realize that fact."

"I know you didn't. I didn't want to hurt you, Edward. Please believe me, that was not my intent."

"What did you think was going to happen? That I'd just hand you over to Emmett and we'd all live happily ever after?" he snapped at her.

"I don't know," she huffed, exasperated at herself. "I don't know what I expected to happen. All I know is that I didn't want to hurt you." Tears were now streaming down her cheeks, and Edward felt himself unwillingly softening slightly. A tense pause settled on them as he watched her, gauging the truth of her statement.

"Well, you did," he whispered.

Turning around, he walked out the door, leaving her to crumble into the nearest chair and dissolve into tears.

It was not until the bell rang that she realized where she was. Slapping the tears away from her face, she stumbled toward the parking lot. Slumping into the driver's seat, she attempted to regain enough control over herself so that she could drive home.

Pulling into her driveway a quarter hour later, she noted disinterestedly that her father's car was parked outside. _Must be here for his lunch break._ Hearing the front door close behind her, her father's voice called out from the kitchen.

"Bella? Is that you?"

Bella peeked into the kitchen, where he was busy making himself a sandwich.

"Yeah, it's me. I wasn't feeling well, so I came home early."

Not looking up, he grunted and continued his food preparation. Sighing, she turned and trudged to her room. She hadn't really been expecting a reaction from him, but still, his indifference hurt. What kind of a parent doesn't even raise an eyebrow when his only child comes home early from school claiming to be sick? _Mine, apparently._

Flopping down on her bed, she stared at the ceiling for what seemed to be only a few minutes until her phone began ringing, pulling her back to the world of the living.

Unsurprisingly, it was Alice. Answering her call, she was immediately grilled for information about why she had skipped her last two classes. With a little prodding, Bella responded by telling about her revelation and her unsuccessful interaction with Edward after class.

When she finished, Alice was silent for a moment. With effort, she restrained herself from chanting 'I told you so!' when Bella confessed to being in love, knowing that it would be incredibly unhelpful to do so. Instead, she prodded her for more information until she was satisfied that she had been told every word and every nuance of their conversation.

When the scene had been fully deconstructed, Alice asked the question that was weighing heaviest on Bella's mind.

"What are you going to do now?"

Bella sighed. "I have no idea. I've tried apologizing, but he won't listen."

"Try again," Alice stated as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What? I just told you, he wouldn't listen to me. What do you want me to do, grovel?"

"Well that all depends, is he worth it?"

Bella's mind flashed to shared moments of laughing, of talking, small moments that were so precious to her now that they were impossible to repeat. She remembered the feel of his arms around her and his lips against hers. She remembered how her heart would speed up whenever he stole her away for a private moment. She remembered what she only now recognized as a feeling of completeness she had felt whenever she was around him. So was he worth it?

"Yes. Yes he's worth it," she murmured.

Alice was glad that they were conversing over the phone, because she had a feeling that the sight of her bouncing up and down in joy was probably not the best reaction to hearing that her best friend was about to intentionally humiliate herself for the man she loved. As it was, Alice could barely contain her excitement enough to ask her if she knew what she was going to do.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I guess I'll just keep apologizing until he finally believes me." She thought for a moment. "I hope he doesn't end up getting a restraining order or something."

Alice laughed. "Well if he does, at least there will be truth in _one_ rumor about a Cullen having one against you."

"Thanks a lot," Bella shot back sarcastically. She didn't know how, but she felt lighter than she had in months. Edward may not have forgiven her yet, but she wouldn't rest until she made every effort on that front.

Let the groveling begin.

*****

The next day began much like usual for Edward. After arriving at school, Jasper ran off to find Alice, and Emmett and Rosalie headed off to have some private time before class. Edward usually used this time to read in his first classroom, but before he could reach it, he was accosted by Bella.

She had arrived early to school and was leaning against a wall, watching for his arrival. She had never felt like such a creeper in her life, but she kept reminding herself that he was worth it.

"Hey, Edward."

Edward ignored her and continued walking. Refusing to give up, she followed him.

"Edward, please talk to me." When he again did not acknowledge her, she reached out to touch his arm. "Please. Edward, please. This has gone on too long. Please just talk to me."

Realizing she wasn't going to give up, he reasoned that he might as well let her say her piece and then carry on. Sighing resignedly, he turned around to stare at her.

"What is it, Bella?" His impassive face made her wince involuntarily.

"I…I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what happened."

"You said that yesterday."

"Yes, and you didn't believe me."

"Fine I believe you. Can I go now?" he huffed exasperatedly.

"Just talk to me for a minute, Edward. I'm sorry, okay. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"What could we possibly have to talk about, Bella? The entire time you were with me was a lie. I don't even know you. Now, I need to get to class. Maybe you should do the same." Once again, he left her alone, staring after him with damp eyes.

She tried again after his first class. He was very surprised to find her waiting for him as he left the classroom, but there she was, like the proverbial cat that would not stay away.

"It wasn't all a lie, Edward." It took him a moment to recall his last words to her from earlier in the day.

"What are you talking about? Of course it was a lie. You were just using me to get to Emmett."

"Not everything was a lie. Yes, I used you, and I'm sorry for that. But the times when it was just us, you need to know that those were real."

He scoffed. "Sure they were. You were probably just trying not to blow your cover."

"I'm being serious here. Look, maybe it started out that way at first, but I had no reason to pretend when it was just us. Those times when we were alone, those were real. At least they were to me," she finished, slightly defensive.

"What is that supposed to mean?" his anger snapped and he whipped around, unconsciously pinning her up against the wall by doing so. "'At least they were to me.' What do you mean by that? Did you think they weren't real for me? Did you think I was pretending? Those were some of the best…no, they _were_ the best moments of my life when I was with you. Do you have any idea how much it hurt to realize that you had been faking all of those moments? To know that they meant nothing to you at all when they meant everything to me?" The anger began to fade, revealing the pain behind his façade.

"They meant something to me too," she whispered. He was so close she could have tilted her chin up and connected their lips, but she didn't dare.

Locked in each other's gaze, he asked the question that had been plaguing him. "Then why? Why, if those moments meant something to you too, did you do that to me?" he whispered back.

"I didn't know." She shut her eyes against the penetrating green that seemed to stare right down to her soul. "I didn't know how much they meant to me until it was too late."

Edward snapped out from her hypnotic gaze as she closed her eyes and was brought back the reality of where they were and how close they were standing. Drawing in a shaky breath, he stepped back. "I'm sorry Bella, but you're right. It's too late." They looked at each other for another moment before he gave her a sad smile and continued towards his next period.

Despite the pain that stabbed through her, Bella didn't dissolve into tears this time. Drawing her last reserves of strength, she squared her shoulders in determination. _I'm not giving up that easily. _

Edward didn't see Bella again until lunch. He was oddly disappointed that she wasn't standing outside his classroom again, but he brushed it off as more masochistic foolishness. Walking into the cafeteria, he was again accosted by a brunette, but this time it was Jessica.

"Hey Edward. Want to eat lunch together?" Her eyes were so full of hope that he felt a momentary twinge of guilt for having not thought of her since lunch the previous day.

"Um, sure. Do you want to come sit with us again?"

She nodded enthusiastically, following him towards his usual table. She and Rosalie started babbling about some new cheer routine that they had been learning, or something like that. Edward was not paying attention. Instead, he was attempting to surreptitiously watch Bella without looking like he was watching her.

Bella was where she always was: seated across the room next to Alice. She seemed to be sitting up a little taller today than she had in recent weeks, and once when she caught him looking, an expression of firm resolve settled on her face. By the end of lunch, he was satisfied with the thought that he had successfully evaded the notice of those sitting with him, but a knowing look from Jasper revealed otherwise. As they rose to leave, Jasper leaned forward so that only Edward could hear and told him in no uncertain terms that "we'll talk later." Edward made a face. That was one conversation he was not looking forward to.

He walked Jessica to her class again, much to her delight, before heading towards Biology. Once again, they chatted amicably, but he couldn't seem to keep his thoughts fully on the girl walking next to him. Rebelliously, his mind kept wandering to a certain brunette with chocolate eyes and an infuriating talent for making him long for her even while he wanted nothing to do with her. Class started just as he sat in his seat, leaving no time for conversation. After class, he left as soon as possible, not giving Bella a chance to corner him again.

Leaving his last class at the end of the day, he thought that he had successfully evaded all further interactions with Bella. That thought lasted only until he reached his car and saw a note tucked under his windshield. Turning it over, he saw four words that, against his better judgment, created a bubble of hope in his chest.

_It's never too late. -B_

**AN--Almost 100 reviews! Woohoo! Thank you so much to all of the great reviews that you have been sending. They truly do keep me going!**

**Special thanks to dragonsexist and americnxidiot for being awesome betas and help keep my story running smoothly. You guys rock!**


	13. Worth It?

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight_

**For The Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 13—Worth It?**

_It's never too late. –B_

*****

Edward stared at the note in his hand, unaware of the mass of students around him, eager to leave for the day. _What does she mean 'it's never too late'? Of course it is! It's not like I'm going to forgive her anytime soon. How could I ever trust her again?_

A large hand clasping his shoulder abruptly pulled him from his thoughts. Emmett curiously looked down at the piece of paper still in Edward's hands.

"What's this?" He pulled the note from his brother's hands to look at it himself. Edward watched his face, strangely apprehensive as the look of confused amusement changed to one of fury.

"What the hell is this?" he growled. "Is this from Bella? She never gives up, does she? Man, I told you we should get a restraining order against her. She is seriously messed up in the head. So what, does she think that leaving notes for me will get me to like her all of a sudden? What the hell is she thinking?"

Edward's irritation spiked at Emmett's assumption that the note had been left for him. Grabbing the paper out of his hands, he carefully folded it before putting it in his back pocket.

"She didn't leave it for you, Em. It's for me."

Emmett was stunned. He blankly looked at his brother, confused. "Why is she writing notes to you?"

Edward sighed. "I have no idea. She's been following me around all day, trying to talk to me. I wouldn't talk back, and I guess that's when she left the note."

"She's been following you around all day? Why didn't you say something earlier? Rose and I could have helped you out."

"Thanks, but I can handle it." The corners of his mouth lifted a bit at the thought of running to his big brother for help just because a girl kept talking to him. A mental image of how that help would likely have manifested sobered him, though. He could just imagine Rose cornering Bella, yelling and threatening her to stay away from all things Cullen. Or worse, starting a new bout of gossip, now that Bella had essentially fallen off the grid to land in her presently ignored status. His stomach clenched at the thought of causing her fresh pain. She may have hurt him deeply, but he couldn't bring himself to desire hurting her in return. At least, not any more than he already had.

Alone in his room, after a tense drive home, Edward would have happily continued to silently ponder the mystery of the note except for the insistent knocking that was at his door.

Thinking it was Emmett, he was a bit surprised when Jasper answered his permission to enter. Taking a seat, Jasper began the process of staring down his friend, to which Edward pretended to be oblivious.

"Do you want to tell me what was going on in the cafeteria today?"

"Not particularly, no."

"Come on, Edward. I know you. Something is eating at you, and I think we both know what it's about. Or maybe I should say who."

"No idea what you're talking about," Edward feigned ignorance.

Jasper slammed his hand down, the noise startling his friend. "Damn it, Edward! When are you going to stop being so stubborn? Just talk to the girl. You know that you will eventually have to anyway. So why not just get it over with?'

Edward glared at him. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh really? I have no idea what I'm talking about?" Jasper matched him glare for glare. "Hmm, let me think, having a girl pretend to like me to get close to someone else? Gee you're right, I have no idea," his voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Don't even get me started on your little girlfriend," he warned. "I still have no idea how you can be around her after what she did to you."

"Because I love her," Jasper replied, his voice was soft in wonderment. Edward just stared at him for a moment.

"How can you love her? She betrayed you. She used you." Pain laced his words.

"She was also honest with me, even when she could have lied to save herself. She could have made up a story, and I never would have known for sure."

"How could you ever trust her again?" They both knew they were no longer really talking about Alice, and Jasper thought for a moment before answering.

"Trust is like love; it's a decision. Most people think that it's just an emotion, but the truth is that you have a lot more say in what you feel than you think you do. If you decide to forgive her, you can choose to trust her again. It may be hard, but it's possible."

Edward stared at him, incredulous. "So what, I just _decide_ to trust her and then everything is magically all better?"

Softly chuckling, Jasper replied, "of course not. I never said it would be easy or that it would be better overnight. All I'm saying is that you need to give her the chance to earn your trust back. And the only way to do that is to start off by deciding to trust her until she can prove it."

A silence settled between them, as each was lost in his own thoughts. After a while, Jasper decided to break it.

"I know she hurt you," he commiserated quietly. "But the question you have to ask yourself is whether or not she's worth it. Is she worth all of your hate? Is she worth risking a second chance? Either way, you need to make that decision on your own, because the only thing you can't be towards her is indifferent. Just," he hesitated, "just think about it, okay?"

Without another word, Jasper stood, clasping his friend's shoulder affably as he left him alone to his musings.

As much as Edward wanted to, he found that he couldn't dismiss his friend's words. Was it really a matter of simply deciding? And did he even want to trust her? Her betrayal had wounded him deeper than anything else that had ever happened to him before. Could he really open himself up to the chance of being hurt like that again?

_No. No, I can't. I don't care what Jasper says; there are some things that are unforgivable. _But was it really the deception that was unforgivable, or the fact that she made him fall in love with her first? _Hold on, there. Who said anything about love? I am _not_ in love with her._ _Sure, keep telling yourself that._

Edward argued with himself for what seemed like hours before finally falling into a fitful sleep. When he woke, it was early morning, and he found that he still had a few hours before he had to get ready for school. Staring at the ceiling that was lit by faint moonlight, he thought back to all that had happened the previous day.

In truth, he had no idea why Bella had been pestering him all day. It seemed that everywhere he turned she was there, ready to pounce on him and say things that made his head spin. _Why in the world would she spend so much effort on me? Why can't she just leave me alone and go off with some other guy?_ The idea of Bella hanging onto another man brought an unexpected surge of jealousy. _Why should I even care if she's off with some other guy?_ For that, he had no answer.

Relentlessly, his mind continued to assault him with images of Bella as he had known her. Every discussion, every talk, every observation, they all seemed to float across his ceiling. Some made sense and fit in easily with his knowledge of her being a conniving bitch who would do anything to get what she wanted. There were other images that challenged his summation of her. Moments when she seemed so genuine and caring and kind that they didn't seem to match what he thought he knew about her.

_Which one is the real Bella?_ Once again, he had no answer. But this time, he was determined to find out.

Pulling into the parking lot that morning, he couldn't resist scanning the parking lot for Bella. _It's only to make sure she doesn't jump out and surprise me again like she did yesterday_ he told himself. _Yeah, sure. And you're not secretly hoping she'll be waiting for you either, are you?_

To his relief…_yes, relief, dammit!…_he didn't see her outside the school. The reprieve was short lived, however, as he saw her waiting for him outside the door of his first class. She looked up nervously as he drew closer, an uncertain smile twitching at her mouth hopefully.

"Good morning, Edward." Her voice sounded tiny, not at all like the confident tone he usually heard from her.

"Bella." He answered her curtly before leaning against the wall next to her. He was not sure why exactly he was permitting the conversation to be stretched out, but for some reason he wanted to hear what she had to say. Honestly, he had no real desire to examine his motives at the moment. He had a feeling he wouldn't like what he found out.

His unanticipated presence next to her caught her off guard, and she couldn't think of anything else to say as her mind struggled to come up with a believable reason as to his sudden willingness to be near her. Nothing came to mind.

Neither said anything as they each stood there, staring blankly at the wall directly in front of them. After awhile, Bella glanced over at him. He was still staring straight ahead, his mind clearly elsewhere. His jaw was clenched, and he had pulled his fists under his arms protectively. She wanted to stroke his hands until they unclenched, to soothe away the strain in his face with her fingertips, but she didn't dare.

As he ignored her perusal, she frantically searched her brain to come up with something to say to him; some way to get him to converse with her, even if it was only snapping. The bell for class truncated her effort before an idea came to her.

Silently, he pushed off the wall and walked into the classroom, not sparing her a single glance. Letting out the breath she wasn't aware she was even holding, she trudged towards her own classroom.

After her first class, she rushed towards Edward's classroom again, determined to try anew. She just made it to the door when the flow of students came pouring out into the hallway. Patiently, she waited for him to leave as well. When he finally did, she saw him look around warily, as if he was searching for someone. When he saw her, an unreadable expression flitted across his face before settling into the impassiveness that was becoming increasingly familiar. Undeterred, she walked up to him, naturally falling in step as he walked to his next class.

"So, how was your class?" She asked the first question that came to mind.

"Fine."

She had been hoping for more than a monosyllabic response, but she'd take what she could get.

"Have you had a good morning so far?"

"Yeah," he responded impassively.

"Did you do anything interesting last night?" she continued, undeterred.

Edward abruptly stopped and turned towards her with a heavy sigh. "What do you want, Bella?"

"I just want to talk to you."

"Why?" His eyes bore into hers, daring her to tell the truth.

"Because I miss you."

His look became incredulous. "You miss me?" he scoffed. "What, no other little puppies running around after you, lapping up your every word?"

"What?! That's not what I'm talking about." Her ire began to rise.

"Oh, so maybe you just miss having someone panting over you like a fool."

"No! I-"

"You know what," he interrupted. "I really don't care." By now he had reached his room, and he disappeared behind the doors. Involuntarily, she gave a small cry of frustration as she stomped towards her own room.

_I was trying to open up to him, and he completely shut me out! Yes, but was it really anything other than what you were already expecting? Maybe not, but he didn't have to be so mean. Okay, so he made some assumptions, but can you honestly say that they were unfounded?_

Bella thought back to the boys that she had dated and then discarded over the last several years. As much as she tried to deny it, she knew that some of them had been really hurt after she had broken up with them. And he was right; they had trailed after her like puppies at times. _But how could he have put himself in that category? He was never a puppy. Those guys were borderline pathetic, even after I tried to explain to them that it wasn't going anywhere. Edward was never pathetic. Even when he was completely smitten, he would still argue with me at times. It was usually over little things like where to eat or what movie to watch, but still, he had more of a spine than any of the others._

The realization of just how different he was filled another spot in the puzzle of why she loved him, and why she could not let him go. He challenged her and excited her beyond anything she had ever experienced. He made her feel powerful and vulnerable at the same time. He made her feel complete. _Why could I have not realized this _before_ it was too late?_ She groaned.

Leaving his second period classroom, Edward was by now unsurprised to find Bella again waiting for him. Deep down, he was a little amused by her persistence. In all the years he had known her from afar, she had never chased down anyone else. Come to think of it, this was the most effort he had seen her put into anything. _Except, perhaps, in the pursuit of my brother._ His last thought hardened his resolve against her, and he again walked right past her as if she was no more than a cardboard cutout. Even so, he was unsurprised when she once again fell in step with him.

"You're not a puppy, you know," she said softly. "You never were."

He responded with a snort of disbelief, still not looking at her.

"I'm serious. You never acted like a puppy."

"No, I guess I just played the part of the lovesick fool for your enjoyment," he scoffed.

"It wasn't for my enjoyment, Edward." Bella broke their unspoken rule by grabbing his wrist to pull him to a stop. Shocks of electricity jumped up both of their arms. Startled, they looked at each other. For a moment, the rest of the world faded. All that existed, all that mattered, was the person in front of them. Her fingers tightened slightly, as if unwilling to risk the chance of losing contact with his skin.

The moment was broken when a passing student 'accidentally' ran into Bella, causing her to stumble backwards. Regaining her balance, she realized that she was still holding onto his wrist.

Deliberately, she forced her unwilling fingers to release him, though the nerves in her hand continued to dance long after the connection had been broken. Swallowing thickly, she dared to look up to gauge his reaction. He was looking down at her, his eyes hooded and his lips compressed as if he was trying to hold some unreadable emotion back.

Taking a shaky step back so she was leaning against the wall, she watched as he slowly turned around and continued down the hall without her. Sliding down until she was sitting, she clutched her head, replaying what had just happened. She couldn't shake the look that had been in his eyes. She had anticipated the anger and pain that had been there, but there was more. He had looked almost…hopeful. It was tiny, nearly imperceptible, but she was certain that it had been there. Pushing herself up from the ground, she strengthened her resolve. As long as there was the smallest hope of reconciling with Edward, she would never give up. Alice had been right; it didn't matter how much she had to grovel, because in the end there was one thing of which she was absolutely certain.

Edward was worth it.

**AN--As always, thanks for the awesome reviews. I believe I may have a review addiction, and only you can help me get my fix. ;)**

**Thanks to americnxidiot and DragonsExist for their continued support and feedback. You are awesome!**


	14. Confession

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight_

**For The Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 14—Confession**

After his encounter with Bella in the hallway, Edward was eager to retreat to the noisy cafeteria that had recently become a haven for him. He knew that she would never come close to him there, not with Emmett and Rosalie sitting at the same table. His relief was short lived, however, when Jessica sidled up next to him as he sat down.

He had no idea why she was being so persistent. It wasn't as though he was extremely interesting, or even all that attractive. For that matter, he had no idea why Bella was being so relentless either. _Maybe this is one of her sick games where she tries to recapture a guy's interest just so she can break him again._ While that did fit in with his previously harsh perception of her, the way that she had been acting towards him lately had given him cause to question what he thought he knew about her. _If this is just a game, why does she look at me the way she does? _Maybe she's just a really good actress_. No, even actors have tells, and they rarely are able to look in a person's eyes and keep up the pretense. _Maybe she's a skilled liar?_ But what about what happened in the hall just now? There's no way she could have been faking that._

Emmett noticed his brother's distraction as he sat down, staring vacantly at the food in front of him. There was definitely something up. Looking around, he saw Alice sitting by herself across the cafeteria. Bella was nowhere to be seen. His eyes narrowed as he speculated where she could be. Had she cornered him again? If he found out she was still harassing him, there would be hell to pay, and he would be the one collecting.

Eventually, Bella entered and sat next to her only remaining friend. Alice looked at her speculatively. There was something different about her today. She looked…hopeful. Almost. Perhaps it was more a look of determination. Alice shot her eyes over towards Edward, who was still staring blankly, paying no attention to those around him. Jessica chattered away next to him, but he made no indication that he heard her, apparently deep in thought.

"So, what took you so long?" She asked innocently, turning her attention back to her friend.

"Nothing much. I was just talking to Edward." Bella answered, as nonchalantly as she could.

Alice sent her an appraising look. "You were talking to Edward? That doesn't sound like 'nothing much' to me. So, how did it go?"

Bella sighed. "About as well as can be expected, I guess." She then recounted her conversations with Edward that had happened over the last few days, leaving out the embarrassing breakdowns that she occasionally had after he walked away.

Alice listened patiently; casting covert looks at Edward every once in awhile. He may as well have been made of stone for all the activity he was engaged in. _That must be either the most boring or the most fascinating meal of his life, judging from the way he stares at it._ Catching Jasper's eyes, they exchanged a look of patient tolerance over their friends. _Will Edward ever be able to move past this the way that Jasper did? Is he even aware of how much pain she is in over this situation?_ She looked at him. _No, he probably has no idea. After all, why would he care? We were in the wrong, after all._

*****

Walking into Biology after lunch, Bella instantly knew that something was different. The desks, which had previously been arranged in rows, were now grouped. Choosing a seat in the back, she wondered what the teacher had planned.

Soon enough, Mr. Banner came in and wrote a single word on the blackboard. _Dissections_. Most of the class groaned, except for the few students who were eager to perform a faux surgery on a dead animal.

"Okay class, we are going to be working on dissections for the rest of the week. I want you to get into groups of two and find a seat next to your partner."

Bella looked around at her fellow students, searching for someone to be partners with. Fortunately, Angela caught her eye and waved her over. Bella sighed with relief. Angela was one of the few girls who had not treated her as an untouchable over what had happened.

"Hey Bella! Would you like to be partners?"

"Sure," she grinned, setting down her bag.

Once everyone had settled, Mr. Banner spoke again. "Okay, now that you have your partners, there's a bit of a twist. Each group will dissect one of two animals, either a frog or a rat. Whichever animal you are working on, I want you to find another group that is working on the other animal so that you can compare notes. I will be looking for observations on how they are similar and how they are different. The four of you will constitute one group. All students must turn in individual worksheets labeling the parts of their animal, but I only need one report of your total findings from each group. Now, to keep this simple, everyone on my right will be working on frogs, and everyone on my left will be working on rats. Go ahead and find your group."

The sound of shuffling feet filled the room as students began regrouping. Bella suddenly found her arm being grabbed by Angela, who was looking at her pleadingly.

"Bella, do you mind if we work with Ben? He was on the other side of the room, so I know we have different animals. He's really a nice guy. You don't mind, do you?"

Bella couldn't help but smile at Angela's nervousness. How could she have denied her such a small request after she had saved her from being un-partnered? She agreed, and Angela shot off to secure their new partner. Within a few moments, Angela returned to their table, with Ben following after her, looking a bit flustered but happy. And following behind him was Edward.

Bella felt her eyes grow wide as both boys seated themselves at the desk grouping. _Oh great. He's going to think I did this on purpose, that I'm scheming again. Okay, so maybe I've been hounding him in between classes, but being partners is different; he can't just walk away if it gets to be too much._

Staring at her with narrowed eyes, Edward's thoughts were very similar. _Did she plan this? How typical to get Angela to ask to be partners instead of asking us herself. She must have known I never would have agreed to work with her._ The logical side of his brain attempted to interject some reason. _She looks just as shocked as me. Maybe this wasn't her idea after all. Besides, it's only for a few days. What's the worst that could happen?_ He chose not to answer that question.

Angela and Ben were seemingly unaware of the tension between the rest of their group as they chatted animatedly about their ideas on things to look for during the dissections. Mr. Banner came around and passed out papers and trays of animals ready for dissection. The boys would be working on the rat, and the girls would take over the frog. They began by noting the outward appearances and the similarities and differences between the two species.

Bella was extremely grateful for two things at the moment. The first was that they would not need to start cutting until the next day, and the second was that there was really not much need for her to interact with Edward as most of the informational exchange could occur through Ben and Angela who were talking nonstop.

Biology could not have ended soon enough. This thought seemed to have also reflected Edward's feelings, judging by the way he rushed out before the bell had even rung. Bella slowly gathered up her own school materials. There was no need to rush out of this class. She would not be attempting to meet Edward in between classes. She had just spent an entire period two feet away from him and he wouldn't talk to her. Maybe he never would.

_Come on, Swan. Snap out of that defeatist attitude! Okay, so he didn't talk to you in class today. Big deal. You still have a few days left as partners. He'll have to talk to you eventually. Besides, think of the conversations you've already had with him today. Chin up. Keep trying. You know that he's worth the effort._ Yes indeed, he was worth every effort she could make.

*****

The next two days were very much the same. Bella met Edward in between each of his classes up through lunch. Conversation was still stilted, and there was still hurt and mistrust on his side, but she couldn't help feeling as though each talk softened his opinion of her, even if it was only an infinitesimal amount. Occasionally, she would ask herself why she bothered when he so clearly mistrusted her, but then she would remember the way he had held her and kissed her tenderly, how he talked to her and treated her as if she was someone special, someone much better than she could ever hope to be, and her resolve was renewed. As long as there was the slightest chance he could forgive her, she would never give up.

The group project was going surprisingly well. Leaving most of the talking to Ben and Angela, they worked together as a well-oiled unit. Even Mr. Banner would make approving remarks as he checked on their progress. It was not until Friday that it all came apart at the seams.

Angela was doing their final piece of dissection, when someone dropped their tray with a loud bang. Startled, Angela accidentally sliced her hand. Acting quickly, Ben grabbed some paper towels to wrap around her hand and then draped his arm around her waist to help her to the nurse's office. Edward and Bella were now left alone, still stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Having no choice, they had to interact for their final comparisons. Surprisingly, they were able to complete their work without the verbal sparring that typically punctuated their conversations. Finishing early, they began to wonder what happened to their partners.

"Do you think she's going to be okay?"

Edward quirked his eyebrow at her unexpected show of concern. "She should be fine. Maybe a few stitches, but it didn't look like she cut herself that deep."

They were silent for a moment. Then, "it was nice of Ben to take her to the nurse. He must really like her."

"Yeah, he's a nice guy. Maybe now he'll finally ask her out."

"You think he wants to ask her out?" she grinned, happy for her new friend.

"Based on how he talks about her, I'd say that's a fair bet."

"I didn't know you guys were that close."

"We're not. There are just some things you can tell by the way he acts around her."

"And you know all this just from the way he acts?" she half teased him.

"Well, obviously there's some room for interpretation when you try to deduce a person's feelings from their actions." He looked pointedly at her.

"What if you find out that your perceptions are wrong? Do you keep working with the old knowledge or try to incorporate the new?" she challenged.

"I guess that all depends on my perceptions being wrong or not. What's the evidence?"

"Maybe it depends on the kind of evidence you are looking for."

"Well, this is science class, so how about evidence like things I can see, or _hear_."

The bell signaling the end of class rang, as they stared each other down. He was about to storm off again when something in her snapped.

"No way, you are not getting out of this that easy," she growled. Grabbing his arm, she propelled him down the hallway in the opposite direction from where he was heading. Edward was so taken off guard that he let her propel him down the hall and out the exit. She didn't stop until they were off school property, safely ensconced among the trees that surrounded the campus. Once they reached a small clearing, she let go of his arm and whirled around to face him.

"Evidence, Edward? What do you think I've been trying to give you lately?"

"I have no idea. Please tell me because I have no idea what little game you've been trying to play at," he angrily shot back.

"You think this is all a game?" she yelled.

"Isn't it?!" He matched her volume.

Bella let out a cry of frustration, fisting her hands in her hair. "It was never a game, Edward," her tone began to sink back towards normal decibels. "It's not as if Alice and I decided to do what we did because we were bored or we intentionally wanted to hurt you."

"No, you just wanted to use us. What kind of a person does that to someone else?"

"I thought that I was in love, Edward. Haven't you ever done something stupid because you thought you were in love? I made a mistake, and I'm sorry." Her voice sounded so forlorn that for a moment he had to remind himself that he was still mad at her. Remembering, however, strengthened his vehemence.

"Really? So if you could just erase the last few months you would? It's not that simple, Bella."

"I wouldn't erase everything," she muttered.

"You wouldn't? Oh, right, because that would mean erasing time spent with the wonderful Emmett, the one you would do anything just to be around," he scoffed.

"That's not what I was talking about, Edward."

"Then what were you talking about?"

"I was talking about you!" she exploded, unable to contain it any longer. "Alright! I was talking about you. Because as horrible as the last two months have been, I'd go through it all again to keep the memories of the times I had with you."

He stared at her, shocked by her revelation. "I know I messed up," she continued softly, "and I know that I'm probably too late, but it's the truth. I miss you. I miss being with you. I miss talking to you. I just miss…you." Her voice trailed off, blanketing them with quietness.

"Bella…" he couldn't speak any more than that; he had no idea what to say.

She smiled sadly. "You don't have to say anything. I know you hate me and you'll probably never trust me again, but I just had to let you know the truth."

"I don't hate you." He spoke so softly that she questioned whether he had actually spoken it or if it was her subconscious playing a cruel joke. "I don't hate you," he repeated with more vigor, "but I don't know how I can trust you again."

"I suppose that's fair," she whispered, giving him another sad smile. Tears began trickling down her face, much to her dismay. The last thing that she wanted was to make him feel guilty over his understandable hesitation at believing her.

Slowly, and seemingly of its own accord, his hand reached up to smooth away a tear, coming to rest on her cheek. The moment his hand touched her, his body reacted. He was lost in confusion as he leaned forward, and whispered, "I still don't trust you."

"I know," she whispered back as their lips touched.

Edward's hand shifted from her cheek to tangle his fingers in her hair as he pulled her gently closer. His other arm wound around her waist while she locked her hands behind his neck. The kiss was achingly gentle, more reminiscent of grief than passion. Minutes seemed to stretch into lifetimes as they consoled each other the only way they knew how, the only way that either would allow.

When they finally parted, they simply stared at each other, neither one willing to move their hands from where they rested. After what seemed an endless moment, he stepped back, letting his arms drop to his side. Bella instantly regretted the loss of contact, but before she could express grief over it, he offered her his hand. Gladly, she placed her hand in his as he steered them back towards the parking lot.

**AN--Favorite parts? Let me know! I'm really proud about this chapter, so tell me what you thought!**

**As always, thanks to americnxidiot and DragonsExist for keeping my characters (especially Edward!) true to form. You girls are awesome!**


	15. Fresh Start

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight_

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 15—Fresh Start**

_After what seemed an endless moment, he stepped back, letting his arms drop to his side. Bella instantly regretted the loss of contact, but before she could express grief over it, he offered her his hand. Gladly, she placed her hand in his as he steered them back towards the parking lot_

_*****_

They walked slowly back towards the school, still hand in hand. They had already missed their last classes, and school would end within minutes. Despite the shortage of time, they were still hesitant to walk any faster than was absolutely necessary to still be classified as moving forward.

Edward particularly felt the limitations of their time together. After the end of the last class, he knew Emmett would be waiting for him. Explaining that he was late because he was talking to Bella was not an option.

"So what do we do now?' she asked with trepidation once they neared their destination. She half expected him to yank his hand away at any moment, and was afraid that pressuring him now would lead to another rejection, but she had to know what he was thinking. His impassive face was driving her crazy.

"I have no idea," he answered honestly. Silence once again enfolded them as they completed their trek back. The bell signaling the end of their time together rang as soon as they stepped onto the asphalt. Somewhat reluctantly, he dropped her hand and headed for his car to wait for Emmett.

When Emmett saw him leaning against the car, his initial thought was that he seemed just as out of it as he had at lunch. He had the same semi-dazed expression of someone who was deep in thought. Reflexively, he looked around for signs of Bella, certain that she was, as always, the source of all of his brother's torment and confusion. He didn't understand why Edward didn't just tell her off and be done with it. Sure, he knew that they had exchanged some words, but apparently they weren't forceful enough if she was still harassing him. With a sigh, he got into the driver's side and slammed his door, effectively shaking Edward out of his trance enough to get in.

Like Emmett, Edward was also thinking about Bella. His thoughts were far different from his brother's, however. In fact, they were quite the opposite. Instead of plotting ways to get her out of his life completely, he was contemplating making her a more permanent feature in it. He wasn't sure how he wanted her in his life, or even why, if he was honest with himself. He just knew that he wanted to be with her.

Bella.

How did he feel about Bella? He knew she had betrayed him in the past and that it was very likely that she would betray him again, but he could not help but feel drawn to her. Something about her pulled him in, made him want to protect her, want to hold her and shield her from all of the bad things in life. He knew that it wasn't just because she was beautiful, there was more to it than that. It was almost as if her soul cried out to his own. And it was because of that soul's cry that he knew that he couldn't turn away from her. Not really.

The slamming of a car door once again jerked Edward out of his thoughts. With a start, he realized that they had arrived home without him even being aware that they had left the school. Unwilling to stop his train of thought, he tossed his bag inside and alerted his brother and mom that he was taking a walk. Once he lost sight of his house to the trees in the surrounding area, he resumed his thoughts.

_Okay, so I can't turn away from her. Does that mean I need to turn towards her? Do you really think you have much of a choice at this point? Go ahead; think about not being with her. You can't can you._

_Holy cow, when did that happen?_

The future that he had been able to so clearly see for himself just months ago now seemed incomplete. Visions of going off to college in the fall, pursuing a major that excited him, and experiencing a new setting now seemed dull and flat, as if the color had faded. He couldn't imagine the appeal of experiencing any of those things, not without her anyway.

That left him with just two choices: move past her, or move on with her. His heart wouldn't let him move past her. So now he needed to figure out a way to move on with her. This was going to take a lot of work.

_No shit, Sherlock._

*****

As had become a recent habit of hers, Bella arrived early to school so that she could wait for Edward at his first classroom. To her shock, he was already there, leaning against the wall and apparently waiting for _her._ Slowing her steps, she approached him cautiously. After yesterday, she had no idea where they stood, but she knew she was about to find out. She just hoped she could accept whatever it was.

She maintained steady eye contact as she advanced towards him, unwilling to break the connection until absolutely necessary. When she was within arms reach, he finally spoke.

"If we're going to do this, we need to set some ground rules." She blinked at his blunt boldness and skipping of pleasantries.

"Okay. What ground rules?" Her heart skipped a beat at the hope that welled up without warning.

"First off, no more lying. Ever." His eyes bore into hers with intensity. "That goes for both of us. I promise that I will never knowingly deceive you, even to spare your feelings. Can you do the same?"

Emotion choked off her words, as she comprehended what he was implying. _He's giving me a second chance._ With effort, she forced out an "I promise."

"Good, because that is the one that's the most important to me. If you lie to me again, I'm done."

Swallowing forcibly, she nodded. "I understand."

He sighed, his shoulders relaxing nearly imperceptibly. "Okay. Second, I think we need to start over. After everything that's happened, I feel like I never really knew you. If we're going to try this, whatever this is, then I need to know the real you, not just the mask that you put on for everyone else. Can we try that?" His eyes were blazing with the force behind his words.

Deciding to try and lighten things up a little, she her shoulders back with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I think I can do that." Sticking out her hand, she gave him a dazzling smile "Hi, I'm Bella Swan. I love reading, hanging out with my best friend, Alice, and taking long walks, but only if I get to stay on the trails," she finished with a wink.

Responding to her cheekiness, he took her hand in a warm clasp and a stunning smile of his own. "Edward Cullen. I also like to read. I'm really into music, and I think the best kinds of walks are when you leave the path behind."

In that moment, something shifted between them. Intentionally, they both set aside the baggage of their previous situation and began getting to know each other. They both knew that they would eventually have to deal with what had happened and its aftermath, but for the time being, they were content to just be.

For the rest of the morning, they met in between periods, discussing such topics as favorite colors, flowers, books, and movies. They were surprised at how many commonalities they did have. Neither liked cut flowers, preferring something planted. They both preferred the mountains to the beach. And they even had similar tastes in music, literature, and movies.

Their fresh start freed them to just be themselves, much to the enjoyment of both. Conversation was easy once again; even better than when they had first started getting to know each other. It was with reluctance, therefore, that she watched the cafeteria looming closer as they walked towards it during the lunch break. Once they passed through the doors, all conversation would have to cease or else they'd incur the wrath of Emmett and Rosalie.

"I wish we didn't have to go in," she sighed.

Edward looked down at her, barely registering what she was talking about. Once he realized, he shrugged. "Then let's not. Why don't we sit out here on a bench?"

Incredulously, she looked at him, trying to figure out if he was being serious. "Well, for one, it's drizzling, and two, wouldn't your brother get worried if you don't show up?"

He smiled. "First off, this is Forks; it's always drizzling, so your argument is unfounded. You know very well that we can both withstand a little moisture. As for Emmett, he's not exactly my warden. I don't report to him about every little thing in my life."

It was a credit to how far they had come that he didn't freeze up at the mention of his brother, and she accepted it for the gift that it was. Realizing that she couldn't argue her way out of it, and that she really had no desire to anyway, she let him lead her towards a private bench where they wouldn't readily be visible to the mass of students in the cafeteria.

Once seated, they began talking again. This time, the focus became deeper than previously. She wasn't sure how the subject had come up, but she began telling him about moving to Forks.

"I was so miserable when I first moved here. It was always so cold and rainy. I had no friends, no connections. My mother had just shipped me across several state lines to my father who was practically a stranger and had no idea what to do with me. Alice was the first friend I made here. She reminded me so much of my mom with all of her energy, it was almost like being home again. Almost," she finished quietly.

Thus far, there had been very little physical contact between them, but at her words, Edward's arm found its way around her shoulders in a comforting embrace. Bolstered by his actions, she continued.

"I still miss her. I know that she's just a phone call away, but it's just not the same. You have no idea how lucky you are to have your parents. I'd give anything to grow up the way you did." She leaned her head on his shoulder as he continued to snug her closer into his side.

"You think I had it easy?" he asked gently, scoffing a bit at the idea of Bella Swan, the most beautiful girl in school, being jealous of him, the guy who was picked on all throughout his adolescence.

"I didn't say you had it easy, I know that you didn't. But you had a wonderful family to help you through it. You knew they loved you, no matter what. That's what I envy."

Leaning back, he looked her full in the face. "What are you talking about? Your parents love you, of course they do."

She smiled sadly. "You think so? My mother sent me away so that she could spend more time with her new husband, and I don't think my dad even realizes I'm there most days." At his unconvinced look, she elaborated. "Do you remember when I first had dinner with your family? Your mom was so sweet. She asked me about my day and tried to get to know me. Edward, I cried that night when I got home. I had no idea a mom could be like that. Trust me. You have no idea how lucky you are." Suddenly exhausted, she buried her head in his shoulder once again as he idly drew pictures on her shoulder with his thumb. Silence blanketed them.

"When I was younger, I would have given anything to have my mother be as unobservant as yours was," he murmured lowly. "School was so miserable and I hated having to answer her questions about how my day had been. How was I supposed to tell her that a good day meant not being tormented or teased, that I strived for invisibility? Emmett knew a little about what was happening, but anything he knew he found out from another source. I never wanted to talk to him or anybody else about it. I think I was afraid that talking about it would make it seem too real; as if ignoring it would make it seem like a bad dream.

"I'm pretty sure my mom knew anyway, though," he continued. "Every once in awhile, she'd get a sad look in her eye when I was talking about school; as if she knew what I was going through but was helpless to do anything about it."

Silence stretched between them again. Then, "aren't we a matched pair. I was accepted by everyone except my family, and you were accepted only by your family." They both chuckled darkly at the accurate summation.

When they finally left their bench to go to Biology, they walked side by side. After a few teasing touches, he took her hand in his own, squeezing it gently as they walked.

Just before they went inside, Jasper caught sight of their entwined hands as he passed by on his way to his own class. The sight surprised him, but not greatly. Smiling slightly, he continued on his way. The next time he was alone with Edward, they just might need to have another little chat.

*****

They continued their clandestine meetings for the next few weeks. With each meeting, they opened up a bit more to each other. They shared their heartaches and joys, pain and pleasure, and all of the stories from their past that made them who they were. They usually met in between classes and during lunch, where they sat on what they had dubbed as 'their' bench. Occasionally, they would plan to meet outside of school. Edward would give the excuse of going for a walk, where he would 'accidentally' bump into Bella on the trail.

On one of their walks, a memory unexpectedly stood out in Edward's mind. He remembered her talking about how she disliked leaving the trail. Knowing her now as he did, he thought he understood a little bit about why that was, but he wondered if there was more.

When he asked her, she gave him the same spiel that she had given the first time: there were dangerous plants and animals off the trail and they might get lost.

"But Bella, the same plants and animals can just as easily be on the trail as off of it," he reasoned. "You just need to know what to look for and keep your eyes open. Besides, you should know by now that I would never let you get lost out here. As long as you're with me, you're safe."

"You left me once before," she mumbled, almost incoherently.

His eyes snapped to hers in confusion. "What? When?"

"When you took me to your meadow." Her eyes were downcast as she shuffled dirt around with the toe of her shoe. "It was after I…after the, uh, _incident_ happened."

His mind went back to that horrible moment. He had been so caught up in rapture, and she had sent him plummeting as surely as Icarus' faulty wings with a single utterance. It was with a start that he realized that he had indeed left her in the meadow afterwards. He was so upset at the time that he hadn't realized or cared that she was left there, lost and without a way home.

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely, squeezing her hand lightly.

"Don't be sorry; I deserved it." She squeezed back and smiled, showing that there were no hard feelings.

"That still doesn't answer my question, though. Why are you so afraid of leaving the trail?" he pressed.

She sighed, seeing that there was no way he was letting her get out of it. "I guess I like the trails because they're safe. Even if I don't know where I'm going, if I stay on a trail, I'm bound to end up somewhere. If I branch off on my own, I could end up anywhere. If I got hurt, no one would ever find me. I'd be all alone," her voice faded off.

Edward pulled her to a stop, lifting her chin so that he could meet her gaze. "I'd find you. No matter what, Bella, I'd move heaven and earth before I'd leave you alone." Leaning forward, he gently kissed her, guiding her face towards his with the hand still tucked under her chin. When he released her, he dropped his forehead to rest on hers, moving his hand down to intertwine their fingers.

"You're not going to leave me alone, eh?" she teased, once she caught her breath. "Guess that means I'm stuck with you."

"Only forever and a day," he teased back. Winking at her, he took a step back, pulling her back into their walk.

At one point, he paused, looking longingly towards an inviting area off the path. The stream that the trail had been paralleling diverged to the side, winding down a small valley before it disappeared out of sight. Recognizing his look, Bella squeezed his hand…and stepped off the path.

"Come on," her voice shook gently with adrenaline. "Let's see where it goes." His eyes lit up as his face broke into a wide grin. He gave her a brief but deep kiss before pulling her along. She held onto him tightly, determined not to lose her lifeline. She may not be fully comfortable off the path yet, but as long as they were together, maybe getting lost wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

**AN--As always, thanks to the fabulous DragonsExist and americnxidiot for their feedback, comments, suggestions, etc.**


	16. Suspicion

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight_

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 16—Suspicions **

Edward had been acting strangely over the last few weeks. He no longer sat in the cafeteria for lunch with the group, choosing instead to sit outside for some unknown reason. He had become even more withdrawn, only interacting with his family and friends when necessary. Emmett was starting to become concerned about him, unable to come up with a reasonable cause for the change.

When Edward first skipped lunch, Emmett thought that it might have been an attempt to avoid Bella, but she was nowhere to be seen, so that did not explain it. When he confronted his brother about it, he claimed to have eaten outside, wanting to get some extra homework done in peace. That seemed logical, as the cafeteria tended to be quite noisy. When he continued to skip eating lunch with his brother every day afterwards, though, Emmett's concern grew.

He wondered if his brother was becoming depressed, attempting to cut off all unnecessary social interactions. These fears were amplified by the way he would disappear right after coming home, always claiming that he was going for a walk and not returning until hours later.

For a time, he hoped that maybe Edward was meeting Jasper on his walks so that at least he wasn't spending all that time alone, but a quick conversation with his brother's friend confirmed that he had been alone. Jasper's reaction to the query surprised him, however.

"I think you should give Edward some space, Em." Emmett stared at him in disbelief. He didn't know what response he had been expecting from Jasper, but it sure wasn't this.

"What are you talking about? You think I shouldn't be concerned about my own brother?"

"I'm not saying that, of course you have the right to be concerned. I just think that you should back off. He's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

"Right, like he took care of himself all those years Tyler tormented him? Or how about the time Eric threw his books across the parking lot? Or the plethora of other incidents I could list off of shit that has happened to him over the years? And you still say I should back off?"

"Emmett, think about it. Do you seriously think Edward is the same person he used to be? Can't you see how much he's changed over the last few months?"

"Yeah, I see the change all right. Now instead of getting his ass kicked by all the idiots at school, he's moping around for some girl who isn't worth it."

"Are you sure he's moping?" Jasper muttered under his breath.

The question caught him up short. Eyeing Jasper carefully, he guessed that there might be something that he wasn't telling.

"Explain."

"Well, he hasn't exactly been acting too sad lately, has he?" Jasper hedged.

Emmett thought back and realized that Jasper was right. Edward _did_ seem to be a bit happier lately. Even in his avoidance state, he wasn't scowling nearly as much as he had been. Come to think of it, his actions _could_ match up more with someone hiding a secret than a person who was depressed. It was almost like he was having a secret rendezvous of some sort. Grinning widely, he started to put the pieces together. _Of course! All of the sneaking off, not telling anyone where he's going, the change in mood—he has a secret girlfriend!_

He decided to test his hypothesis against Jasper, who attempted to wiggle his way out of answering the question directly, confirming to Emmett's mind that he knew something about it.

"It's Jessica, isn't it?" he asked happily, cutting to the chase.

Jasper froze, avoiding eye contact as he answered. "What makes you say that?"

"Who else could it be? He and Jess have been flirting for weeks, I'm proud of him for finally doing something about it." He was so caught up in the idea of his brother finally finding a girl who could make him happy that he missed Jasper's unease.

Jasper's mind was racing. He knew that the girl who was occupying so much of Edward's time and energy was most certainly _not_ Jessica. He also knew that alerting Emmett of the true identity of Edward's mystery girl would end very badly for all involved.

Deciding to excuse himself before he could do any more damage, he called his friend's cell as soon as he was out of earshot. He was unsurprised when his call went straight to voicemail. He could well imagine what was distracting his friend from answering the phone. Leaving a message to call him as soon as he turned his phone back on, he headed over to Alice's house for a little distraction of his own.

*****

Edward walked into the house feeling more content than he had been for a long time. He had just spent the afternoon with Bella. It seemed that he was learning new things about her daily. A few months ago, he never would have guessed that the brash and confident Bella Swan was actually incredibly insecure and vulnerable. It was humbling to realize that he was allowed to see a secret side of Bella, one that was hidden from the rest of the world.

Thinking of Bella reminded him to turn his phone back on. He had made it a habit of turning it off whenever they were together, not wanting to be interrupted. They usually tried to be careful about calling each other, as her calling him might raise unwanted questions if discovered by the wrong people, but she had recently started texting him randomly at night. They were usually silly little things to make him smile, but they had become a highlight in his day.

Having just left her not too long ago, he was surprised when his phone reported a new voicemail message. The voice that came on, however, was not the one that he was expecting.

"_Hey Ed. Um, I really need to talk to you. It's important. So, yeah, call me when you get this."_ Jasper sounded a little antsy, which caused concern in his friend. Hitting the call back button, he waited for him to pick up. When he did, Edward could hear Alice laughing in the background. Reflexively, his stomach clenched at the sound. He may have forgiven Bella for her part in the deception, but Alice was another issue all together. The main point being that he did not have the same kind of incentive for forgiving her as he did for Bella.

"Edward! I'm glad you called." Jasper's voice on the other end pulled him from his thoughts.

"Yeah, Jazz. What's up?"

"Um, hold on a second" Jasper lowered his voice. There were scuffling sounds in the background, indicating that he was finding someplace private to talk. "So, we need to talk."

"Yeah, you said that on your message. What about?"

"Okay, I'm just going to get it out," he heaved an exasperated sigh, and Edward could almost picture him running his fingers through his hair. "Emmett knows you have a secret girlfriend."

Edward felt the blood drain from his face and sink into his stomach. _Crap!_ Deciding to play innocent, he tried to sound bemused in his response. "What are you talking about? What secret girlfriend?"

"You know darn well 'what secret girlfriend.' I'm talking about Bella. You've been seeing her at least a week now, maybe longer."

Now it was Edward's turn to take measures to prevent eavesdropping by walking outside away from the house.

Once assured that he would not be overheard, he hissed back, "How did you know?"

An unamused chuckle filled his ear. "You know, you really aren't as subtle as you think you are. You can't just change from scowling to smiling without expecting other people to take notice. Seriously, even Emmett has caught on that you've changed. But to answer your question, I saw the two of you holding hands in school."

_Fabulous._ If Jasper had seen them, who knew who else had caught on? Edward's pace began to grow frantic as he charged through the woods near his home.

"Who else knows? How did Emmett find out? Did he freak out? God, Jazz, if he goes after her or tries to hurt her I'll kill him." His questions shot out as fast as he could speak. It was not until he paused for breath that Jasper could get a word in edgewise in an attempt to answer him.

"Okay, Ed, breathe. Calm down. I don't know if anyone else knows about you and Bella. As far as I know, Alice doesn't even know; we don't exactly spend our time talking about the two of you. And as for Emmett, he knows that you have a girlfriend, but he doesn't know its Bella."

At the last sentence, Edward froze. "What do you mean 'he doesn't know its Bella'? Who does he think it is?"

"Jessica."

"_Jessica?!_ Why in the world would he think it was Jessica?"

"She's the only other girl he's seen you with. Of course he would jump to that conclusion."

Edward paused to consider the situation he was in. His brother knew he had a girlfriend, but had no idea who it really was. If he corrected him, it would make things worse for Bella. But could he allow his brother to believe he was dating Jessica? How long could he hope to keep up that ruse?

"Okay, Jazz, thanks for the heads-up," he muttered distractedly.

"No problem," Jasper answered, trying to think of a way to subtly change the focus of the conversation. Unable to think of a way to ease into it, he decided to just push ahead. "So, how are things with you and Bella?"

"Um, good. We're good." It was awkward, suddenly being able to discuss his relationship with Bella. Up to this point, he had had no one else to confide in. It was a relief in some aspects, though the increased potential of being discovered gave him some concern.

"'Good?' Is that all you have to say? Just 'good.'"

"What else do you expect me to say?" he answered, a bit defensively.

"I don't know. Maybe something about how the heck you got from the point of hating her to dating her?"

"I never hated her," he quietly argued.

"You could have fooled me. Every time she came up in conversation, you would grimace like you had just eaten a rotten grape."

_Did I? _He thought back to his past behavior. It was true that his face would contort whenever she was mentioned, but it was usually more from pain than disgust. _Is that how I looked to others? What else have I missed?_

"Well, things are different now."

"Well, clearly," Jasper scoffed. "The question is: how did it change?"

Recognizing that it was best to start from the beginning, he started walking Jasper through the events that led to his reconciliation with Bella. He told him about her cornering him in between classes, their eventful conversation in the woods, and their continued clandestine meetings over the past several weeks. When he finished, he waited for his friend's response. He didn't have to wait long.

"So, I guess you decided to forgive her after all."

"Well," he hesitated, "let's just say I'm working on it."

"You're '_working on it?_' What the heck does that mean?"

"It means I'm working on it. Sheesh, I thought that would be obvious."

"Okay, then I have another question for you. Why?"

"'Why' what?"

"Why are you trying to work it out with her?"

Jasper's question shot to the heart of the matter. Edward frantically tried to collect his thoughts. It wasn't as though he had never weighed the pros and cons of resolving things with Bella; he had done so several times when they first started talking again. He was finding it difficult to vocalize his reasons for doing so, however.

"I don't really know, I just did. It's like, having her with me, even with all of the baggage from the past, is better than not dealing with it and being alone."

"Are you saying you're with her because you don't want to be alone?" he prodded.

"No! I mean…I, I just…ugh, why is this so hard? It's like, life isn't right when she's not there. Being with her is like finding a piece of myself that I never even knew was missing."

Silence.

Then, "Sounds like you've got it bad."

"I think so. I…I think I love her."

Even though Jasper had his suspicions that Edward felt this way, it was still surprising to hear him admit it out loud.

"Well, good luck with that, man." Thankfully, he let the matter drop at that point. The conversation had taken an uncomfortable turn for both of them, as their situations were too identical for either of their liking.

After hanging up, Edward trudged back to the house. As he started reaching for the doorknob, it was suddenly moved out of his reach. Emmett held the door open, wearing a big grin, with just a hint of chastisement.

"And where have you been, brother of mine?"

"Just out walking." Edward attempted to squeeze past him and escape up to his room, but Emmett was having none of that. Wrapping his arm around his shoulder, he led Edward to the couch and plopped him down.

"Now, now, little brother. Is there anything that you'd like to share with the class?"

Edward tried desperately to pull off an innocent look. "About what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe something about how you've been spending your time lately. Or, more to the point, _who_ you've been spending your time with."

"No idea what you're talking about, Em."

Emmett's eyes narrowed dangerously, the grin fading from his face. "Not buying it. You're hiding something, or I should say _someone,_ from me. Now I'm just wondering why? Do you really think I'd be upset about you having a girlfriend? A real one, this time? Didn't you know I'd be excited for you? I thought we were closer than that."

Edward hated the hurt in his brother's eyes, but he knew he didn't really have a choice.

"Hate to break it to you, Em, but there's nothing to tell." Quickly standing, he left to go to his room, but not before he heard his brother calling out that he 'would find out the truth eventually' behind him. _Not if I can help it._

**AN--Hello! Sorry for the delay. Finishing up classes for the semester meant that I had to do actual work and not just use my story for procrastination. A special thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter, it was one of the highest for responses so far. It always makes me happy to hear how people like the story, good or bad.**

**Huge thanks to DragonsExist for helping with this chapter and offering some great feedback. If you had read the original of this chapter, you may have killed one of my characters and then come after me. Hopefully that is no longer the case! **


	17. Longing

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 17—Longing **

"_Hate to break it to you, Em, but there's nothing to tell." Quickly standing, he left to go to his room, but not before he heard his brother calling out that he 'would find out the truth eventually' behind him. _Not if I can help it_._

*****

The next few days were arduous. Edward had sent Bella a text warning that Emmett was getting suspicious, and as a precaution, they decided to stay away from each other until after school when they could escape watchful eyes.

It was difficult to pass by him in the corridor and not speak to him. It was tortuous to not touch him, to not reach out and hold his hand or run her fingers through his hair. She longed to pull him into a corner where they could be alone, but knew she couldn't take the risk.

Perhaps the most difficult time of all was lunchtime. What had previously been an opportunity for them to have a chunk of uninterrupted time together now became an interminably long stretch of 'look but don't touch.'

Alice was the one source of comfort that she had throughout the ordeal. Even though Bella missed being able to talk with Edward, it was good to reconnect with her. Up to that point, she hadn't realized how much she had missed her feisty friend.

There was a change in their lunchtime routine, however, since the last time Bella had eaten inside the cafeteria. Jasper now joined them for the meal. The only reason why Alice and Jasper had been at separate tables in the past was in a show of solidarity for their hurting friends. That motivation became void when Bella and Edward reconciled and started eating together outside.

It was a bit surprising that first day when Bella joined them. She knew that he and Alice had been eating together, but in the back of her mind, she thought that he would leave and go back to Edward once he returned. Or that he would not want to be seen associating with her, the school's pariah. To her amazement, he not only stayed but also engaged her in conversation.

"So, how are things going with Edward?"

Bella stared at Jasper. The concept of discussing Edward at school, a place where they carefully hid their feelings for each other, with his best friend felt surreal. The only other person she had been able to talk to about her relationship was Alice, so adding one more person doubled her number of confidants. So, the best that she could respond was a squeaky, "fine."

Unexpectedly, he started laughing. When the two girls looked at him questioningly, he told them "that's exactly what Edward said when I asked him."

"You asked him about us? Why?"

"Well, it's not exactly as if he has anyone else to talk to about it, does he? Besides, I was curious."

"What did he say?" Alice queried, joining in the conversation.

"Same as Bella, that everything was good."

"Oh come on, you're not actually telling me that you left it at that, are you?" Alice parried.

"Of course not," Jasper chortled before taking a large bite of food.

The girls waited impatiently for him to swallow, giving him death glares as he chewed. When he was finally done with his bite, Alice could restrain herself no more.

"And? What did he end up telling you?"

Jasper feigned shock, as he placed a hand over his heart. "Alice! I'm surprised at you, thinking I'd reveal a friend's private conversation with me." He then proceeded to lecture them about respecting the mores of friendship in an exaggeratedly pompous voice.

His antics had the girls desperately attempting to stifle their giggles as they tried to keep a stern look on their faces. Bella cracked first, letting out a snigger. At the sound, Alice's resolve slipped, and she let out a giggle. Within moments they were both laughing at Jasper, who pretended to be confused at their behavior briefly before succumbing to his own laughter.

The sound of their amusement carried across the room, drawing the attention of a bronze-haired boy. When Bella raised her eyes, she caught him watching her. Instantly sobering, she gave him a sad smile, which he returned.

Edward attempted to return his attention to what Emmett and Rosalie were saying, but his focus continually shifted towards Bella. She had looked so happy, laughing with Alice and Jasper. An irrational twinge of jealousy that he was not the one to make her laugh tugged at him, though he tried to talk himself out of it. _So what if she's laughing. Isn't it a good thing that she is enjoying time with friends? Besides, it's not like you can be there for her anyway right now, at least not without making the situation worse for both of you._

Resentment at the limitations that were being imposed on them surged forth. It took everything in him to not glare at his brother for being the cause of the mess. _If it weren't for Emmett, she never would have lied in the first place. And now, it's only to protect her from _him_ that we need to keep quiet._ Deep down, he knew that his brother's actions were out of love and loyalty, but they prevented him from openly being with the girl he loved. _It's because of him that I'm not sitting with her right now, making her laugh. _

Unable to take it any longer, he abruptly stood and grabbed his bag before storming outside, leaving Emmett and Rosalie to look at each other in confusion over his unexpected action.

"What was that all about?" Rosalie asked, her eyes wide in confusion.

Emmett shrugged his own bewilderment, following his brother with his eyes until he disappeared behind closed doors.

Outside, Edward continued his storming, running his hands through his hair furiously while attempting to calm himself down. He wasn't completely sure why he was so worked up, other than the frustration over their imposed secrecy. His breath was just starting to become regulated when he heard his name called from behind him.

Turning around, he waited as Jasper jogged towards him.

"Hey, Edward!" Jasper started speaking as soon as he was within hearing distance. "What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"'Is something wrong?' Gee, Jazz, I have no idea what you're talking about. I just have to hide the fact that I'm dating the girl I'm head over heels for from my brother and his girlfriend because they would make her life a total hell. So now, instead of sitting with my girlfriend and talking to her like any normal boyfriend would, I have to watch her from across the room while _you_ get to talk to her and make her laugh. Yeah, I have no idea where you came up with the thought that something might be wrong."

Jasper stood there listening as Edward ranted. When he was finished, he asked, "So why don't you just tell him?"

Edward snorted incredulously. "Were you not listening? They would make her life hell. Don't you remember what they've already done to her?"

"I remember. But I also know that there's no way to keep this a secret forever. Sooner or later, he will find out. If you tell him, at least you can choose how he finds out. If you wait…you'll just have to take your chances."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he sighed.

"Of course I'm right. I usually am, you know," he teased.

"Yeah, yeah, the infallible Jasper, I know." Edward bumped him with his shoulder.

With that, Jasper left him to his musings as he ambled off to rejoin Alice and Bella. Staring after him for a while, Edward began to walk around the campus. Could he tell Emmett about his relationship with Bella? He thought about the havoc that his brother and his girlfriend could wreck if inclined. _But would they? They only did it in the first place because she hurt me. Would they still react that way if they knew it would hurt me too?_ Deep down, he knew the answer was yes, yes they would.

When Bella and Alice lied, they lied to Emmett and Rosalie as well. They had conned their way into their lives, and neither of them took such actions well as they tended to be slow to forgive. Even though they claimed that they were getting the girls back for hurting him, he knew that deep down they were eager to exact revenge for their own sakes as well.

Before he became hopeless, however, a vision of not having to hide his feelings for Bella surfaced. Visions of them walking down the corridors hand in hand, of them sitting and laughing together in the lunch room, of being able to hug and kiss her without fear of discovery. The idea was tantalizing.

_Maybe it would be worth it to just tell him if it would mean we could go through it together. Jazz is right; he will find out eventually whether it's me who tells him or not._

His mind was mostly made up, but he knew that he had to talk to Bella before he did anything. After all, she would be the one affected the most.

*****

"So, I've been thinking," he started later, when they were alone.

"Uh oh, that's rarely a good thing," Bella interrupted teasingly, covering her sudden concern. She had heard the seriousness in his tone, and it worried her.

He chided her with a look before continuing. "I think we should tell Emmett about us."

Bella froze, her face fixed in disbelief. Edward counted out several of his heartbeats before she responded.

"Are you crazy? He already hates me enough as it is!"

"That's why I think we should tell him," he reasoned. "If we keep seeing each other, he will find out at some time. Eventually, we'll make a mistake or someone will see us, and then our chance to tell him ourselves will be over."

"Oh." Her voice was suddenly deflated as her shoulders sank. Concerned at her response, Edward lightly rubbed her arm, urging her chin towards him when she averted her face.

"What is it?"

"Nothing," she tried to plaster a smile on her face, but it was faltering at best.

"Bella," he warned, "we promised to be honest with each other. Now what's going on?"

"It's just…you said _if_ we keep seeing each other," she finally responded, feeling a bit foolish.

"And you took that to mean that I wanted to break up?"

"More like an ultimatum: break up or tell Emmett."

"Would _you_ rather stop seeing each other than tell my brother that we're together?" Even the thought of not being with her caused him physical pain, and he fervently hoped that she would deny his statement. Instead, she changed the focus back to Emmett.

"Why do you want to tell him? Other than the possibility of him finding out on his own?"

"I don't want to hide what we have anymore. I want to sit next to you at lunch and make you smile and laugh. I want to hold your hand in between classes. I want to be able to give you rides to school and kiss you good-bye without having to hide as if we're ashamed. Because the one thing that I am most certainly not, Miss Swan, is ashamed of you," he finished, drawing her into a searing kiss.

It was several long moments before her brain restarted enough to form cognitive thoughts. Once it did, she realized that she had no arguments that she could use against him. Truthfully, she wanted everything that he said to happen just as much as he did. So the only response that she could come up with was an ineloquent "okay."

"Okay? So, we'll tell him?" he asked eagerly.

"Yes, I think we should tell him. I want everything you just said. I want to be able to run my fingers through your hair when it gets messy. I want to be able to give you a hug and make you smile when you're sad. And I want the whole world to know that I'm not ashamed of you, either."

"So, we will tell him then," he confirmed, a bit lightheaded after her confession.

"Tonight," she affirmed with a kiss.

Neither saw the figure slowly backing away from them before being swallowed by the surrounding trees.

*****

Rosalie could hardly believe what she was seeing. There, in the middle of the trees, stood Bella kissing Edward, in front of God and all of creation. Even more unbelievable was the fact that he was letting her. _What the HELL is he thinking?!? _Backing away before they could see her, she raced back to her car.

_I need to tell Emmett._ She knew that to be true, but an image of how the news would likely be received by him made her hesitate. _Whoa there, Rosalie, let's get all of the facts straight before making Emmett blow a gasket. But what additional facts are needed? He was _kissing_ her. And from the looks of it, this wasn't the first time. How could he be so stupid? Does he not remember the fact that she lied to him? In the attempt to get _my_ boyfriend? Hell no!_

By the time she reached the Cullen house, she was so fired up that she could hardly see the road past her rage. Rage at Bella. Rage at Edward. Rage at herself for not figuring it out sooner. It all made sense now, the way he was always disappearing in the middle of the day, only to come back smiling. Emmett had thought that he was secretly dating Jessica, but she had known from the start that it was unlikely. Em might be oblivious to the fact that Edward paid scant attention to Jessica, but Rosalie certainly wasn't. It was clear that he barely recognized her existence.

Even with all of that, however, she _never_ would have guessed that Edward's secret rendezvous had been with Bella of all people. Then again, there were certain parallels between their behaviors that, if she had been paying attention, she might have picked up on. She might have noticed that when Edward stopped eating lunch in the cafeteria, so did Bella. She might have caught on that Edward's change in mood coincided with Bella becoming less gloomy. Perhaps she would have even noticed that Edward always disappeared right after cheer practice ended, and no sooner.

Her head was spinning with _what ifs_ when she walked through the front door. Fortunately, Emmett did not seem to notice her distraction at first, as he was focusing on studying for a particularly challenging history test that he had the next day.

"Hey babe!" he greeted when he saw her, briefly looking up from his notes. Sitting next to him, he instantly piled his notes into her lap and begged her to quiz him. Agreeing, she spent the next several hours pouring over the finer points of American government with him. It was not until Edward walked through the front door that she realized that she had not yet talked to Emmett about the Bella situation. Glancing at the clock, she sighed. It was time for her to leave. Giving him a kiss good-bye, she promised herself that she would talk to him in the morning.

*****

Edward watched Rosalie back out of the driveway feeling strangely uneasy. She had given him a strange look just before she left that he wasn't sure he knew the meaning of. It was almost as if she knew something.

Shaking off the thought, he decided he was probably just being paranoid. Besides, he had much more important things to think about—like how to tell his brother that he was dating someone that he hated.

After he and Bella decided that Emmett needed to be told, they had a long discussion about the best way to tell him. Bella was all for telling him together and presenting a united front, but Edward knew that her presence would likely worsen the situation. If Emmett saw them together, he would go ballistic before even giving them a chance to explain. In the end, it was determined that he would tell him alone that night, and that tomorrow would be the start of their public relationship.

When he first arrived home, Emmett was preoccupied with studying for his test the next day. Edward was tempted to put off telling him under the guise of not wanting to sidetrack him from his studies. However, he knew the truth—that it would just be an excuse. Unable to justify putting off the inevitable any longer, he took a deep breath before knocking on his brother's door, entering once invited in.

"Hey, Ed. What's up?" Emmett muttered distractedly.

"Em, can you put the books down for a minute? I need to talk to you." Hearing the seriousness in his brother's voice, Emmett confusedly closed his texts and motioned for Edward to have a seat.

Now that he was there, Edward suddenly realized that he had no idea how to start the conversation. He had been so concerned with making sure he was right in his decision that he had neglected thinking about what he actually wanted to say. As a result, there were several moments of awkward silence where Emmett waited for him to speak and Edward floundered for words to say.

"So, I guess you've already figured out that I've sort of been seeing someone," he started.

"Yeah," Emmett prompted, smiling. _So _that's_ what he wants to talk about. About dang time! I wonder why he looks so nervous, though._

"Well, the thing is, its sort of serious."

"It is?" his grin widened. "How serious is 'sort of serious'?"

"I think I love her."

"What are you talking about 'you _think_ you love her'? It's pretty straightforward. Either you love her or you don't. So which is it?"

Edward was suddenly hit with a realization from Emmett's words. Thus far, he had been too afraid to admit how he really felt about Bella, just in case she hurt him again. But looking past the excuses, his feelings were plain. "I love her."

Impossibly, Emmett smiled even wider as he clapped his brother on the back. "Congratulations, dude. You're growing up. So, tell me about her."

"Well, she's beautiful,"

"Of course," Emmett interrupted cheekily. Mock glaring at him, Edward continued.

"She's funny, she's smart, she makes me laugh, and she's just…amazing."

"Awesome! So, who is she?"

The sudden somberness of his brother's face concerned him. He couldn't think of any reason why telling him her name would make him act that way. It was almost as if he was ashamed of her; but if she was half as amazing as he seemed to think she was, Emmett could not think of any reason why he would act ashamed.

"Okay, you need to promise not to freak out," Edward prefaced. Cautiously, Emmett nodded his assent before Edward continued. "It's Bella."

Instantly, the peaceful camaraderie between the brothers was broken. In its place, a vortex of hurt, confusion, and anger swirled.

"You what!!" Emmett roared. "You're dating _Bella_?! Bella Swan? The girl who lied to us, the girl who ripped you to shreds, you're actually dating her? Willingly? What the hell are you thinking?! Are you insane?!"

"Yes, Emmett, I'm going out with her. And yes, she did some really stupid things before, but that's over now. I'm crazy about her." Edward tried to keep his tone even and calm, but it required a large amount of effort to do so.

"I'll say you're crazy! You'd have to be to tie yourself up with her again!"

Losing his grip on calm, Edward roared back. "And what do you know about it? Have you ever even tried to talk to her or get to know her?! You have no idea who she really is."

"I _did_ try to talk to her and get to know her! Back when the whole scheme started, I talked to her all the time."

"And you liked her, too, didn't you? Remember what you thought of her before everything blew up."

"Yes, I'll admit, I liked her. But that's only because the whole plan was to make me like her. Don't _you_ remember? She was trying to steal me away from Rosalie. Of course she did everything she could to make me like her."

"Regardless, I _do_ know her. And I love her."

Emmett froze. "You actually are in love with the little bitch, aren't you?"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Edward's fist was flying towards his chin. Dumbfounded, Emmett stared at his brother, who was now standing over him, shaking with rage.

"Don't ever call her that again. Say what you want about me being an idiot, but leave her out of it."

With that, Edward stormed out, slamming Emmett's door behind him. _Well, that didn't go well. Then again, it was pretty much exactly the way I thought it would be._ Sinking down to his bed, he cradled his head in his hands, trying to think about what his next step should be. Preoccupied, he didn't notice his mother entering the room until she sat next to him, her hand comfortingly rubbing his back.

"So, I hear that you and Bella are back together," Esme's soft voice broke the stillness.

"How did you know that? I just now told Emmett," Edward looked at her in shock.

Esme chuckled. "Well you two weren't exactly quiet in your, shall we say, _discussion_. I do have ears, you know," she winked.

Edward sighed and replaced his head in his hands.

"Don't worry, son. Your brother will come around eventually."

"Yeah, before or after he makes her life hell?" Edward mused wryly.

"Why would he do that?" Esme asked, confused.

He had forgotten that she was unaware of their earlier antics. Of course she wouldn't know how the three of them had sought to make Bella's life miserable, or even the events that led up to their break. With a sigh, he filled her in; giving an edited account of what had happened in the last several months, right up to the decision he and Bella had come to earlier in the day.

Esme sat and listened, only interrupting occasionally to ask a clarifying question. When he was finished, they both allowed the silence to permeate the room, each lost in their own thoughts for a moment.

"Well, that does complicate things a bit," Esme sighed. "However, you've already decided she's worth the effort, or we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation."

"I think she is, mom. But even with all of that, I'm still not sure how much I can trust her. What if she changes her mind about me, the same way she changed her mind about Emmett? She really thought she loved him. How do I know she won't stab me in the back again?"

"I don't know what to tell you, sweetie. From what you've told me, it sounds like she's changed, but you need to decide whether or not to trust your perceptions. I can't tell you what to believe, but the one thing I can tell you is that there is always a risk when you love someone. Anytime you open your heart to someone else, you run the risk of being hurt or betrayed. The only way to make sure you never get hurt is to never trust someone, and believe me, that is not the way to live your life. You are so tenderhearted that it would be impossible for you to live without loving people. You just need to decide who is worthy of that love. If Bella is the girl you've just described to me, I think you'll be okay." Kissing him on the forehead, Esme went back downstairs, leaving him to his musings.

Finishing preparations for dinner, Esme thought back to her long talk with her youngest son. Despite the inner turmoil, he seemed happier than he had been for a long time. She knew now that Bella was the instigation for the change. Her son had finally found someone to share his heart with.

Her joy was only partially obscured by the news of how deeply Bella had hurt him in the past. Whether she was a changed person or not remained to be determined. Regardless of Edward's assertion, she needed to see for herself. Yes, she intended to remain open-minded, but she had a few questions about the girl in her son's life. And if she ever intentionally hurt her little boy again, she would have more than Emmett to be afraid of.

**AN: Apologies for taking so long to update. It was a combination of writer's block and limited internet access. As a compensation, here is the longest chapter I've written thus far. It was originally intended to be two chapters, but I was encouraged to put them together, and I have to agree that it does flow better. Brownie points if you can guess where I originally ended it! **

**For those of you still reading, thanks for sticking with me. Please drop me a line to let me know what you think! **

**Thanks to dragonsexist and americnxidiot for their fabulous feedback.**


	18. New Day

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight_

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 18—New Day**

Bella could not remember ever being more nervous about starting a school day in her life. Today would be the start of everything changing. Today, the whole school would know that she and Edward were together. There would no longer be any need to hide from their peers. The thought was exhilarating. The thought of how their relationship would be received, however, especially from a certain brother and his girlfriend, was less exhilarating. Actually, it was downright terrifying. As long as Edward was by her side, though, she knew she could handle anything they threw at her.

The brightest spot on her immediate horizon was that she would not have to wait for Edward at school. He was picking her up. Even when they had first started 'dating,' they had driven separately. Back then, being picked up by her supposed boyfriend had seemed incredibly cheesy and assaulted her feminist ideals. Now that she was in love, however, the act had transformed into one of endearment; one that she could not wait to experience.

A flash of silver caught her eye as his car pulled into the driveway. Grabbing her bag, she yelled to her dad that she was heading out and ran out the door. She was so eager, that she was seated in the passenger seat and buckled in before Edward even had the time to open his door.

"You just spoiled my whole plan, you know," he teased. "I was going to do the whole gentleman routine and walk you to the car and open your door for you."

"Maybe next time," she smirked. "I guess you'll just have to be a bit faster. Besides, I missed you too much to wait," as she swooped in for her first kiss of the day.

It was incredible how much Edward's presence affected her. Throughout the short drive and the first arduous walk to class, she was barely cognizant of any of her peers. The only person that existed to her in that moment was Edward. The only thing she could see was his smile; the only thing she could feel was his hand wrapped around her own. It was not until they were forced to separate for their classes that the rest of the world crashed into her view.

For the most part, the rest of the student populace treated her as they had before. They ignored her. The only difference now, however, was that while she herself was ignored, her relationship with Edward was on the tips of everybody's tongues.

"_Did you hear she hooked up with Cullen again?"_

"_Who, Emmett? Didn't she try that already and fail?"_

"_No, no, Edward."_

"_Seriously, what does he see in her? She's not even that pretty."_

"_She's pretty enough to maybe be worth a few jumps on the bed, but that's about it. Too bad she's such a bitch."_

"_Why would he go back to her for more abuse?"_

"_Maybe he's just a glutton for punishment. There's no way I'd ever take her back after what she did to him."_

Throughout the long morning, Bella was surrounded by whisperings. There were many theories about why Edward would have taken her back. Everything from her telling him she was pregnant to her threatening his family if he didn't play along. It was only seeing Edward in between each class that made the morning bearable. At each interval, he was there holding her, and the rest of the school receded once again.

That comfort was removed mid-morning.

Bella was close enough to see the cafeteria when a sudden yanking on her arm pulled her into the corridor behind the lockers. Rotating her shoulder that now throbbed in protest from the rough treatment, she met Rosalie's angry stare.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rosalie hissed.

"I could ask you the same thing," Bella retorted. "You nearly pulled my arm out of its socket."

"I don't give a rat's ass about your damn shoulder. What the hell are you doing with Edward?"

Bella narrowed her eyes dangerously. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"Listen to me, you little trollop, Edward is like a brother to me, and there is no way in hell that I am going to stand by and watch you destroy him again."

"Edward's a big boy; he can make his own decisions," Bella ground out.

"I'm not arguing that, but I do question the wisdom of his decision in this case." Her face became scrutinizing as she eyed Bella harshly. "Just how did you manage to get your hooks into him again anyway? Did you fill him up with a bunch of lies to make yourself look better than you are? Tell him stories to twist his mind? Or did you just flounce around and try to seduce him? Judging from the hot little display I saw in the woods, I'm going with the latter."

Never had Bella felt such a powerful urge to slap another person in her life. Taking a deep calming breath, she forced her muscles to loosen before answering the still fuming blonde.

"I have no idea what 'display' you're talking about, and I really don't care. How dare you talk about Edward that way? If he really is like a brother to you, I'm very grateful you don't have any actual siblings if this is how you would treat them. Say what you want about me, but never diminish Edward in front of me. He is not some child that needs to be looked after. He is fully capable of making his own choices. He chose me."

"What are you in it for anyway?" Rosalie interrupted, brushing aside Bella's words. "Is this some new step in your elaborate little plan to snare Emmett? Or do you have new motives now?"

"No, Rosalie, I am not going after Emmett. Don't worry your pretty little head about your precious boyfriend," she spat.

"Then why are you doing it?" Rosalie pushed. "If you want a boy toy, pick someone else. Why Edward? Haven't you done enough to the poor kid?"

"No, I don't just want a 'boy toy'. God, is it so hard to believe that I might actually _like_ spending time with him?"

"Oh, so you want a friend now, is that it?" Rosalie condescended. "Now, after all of these years with Alice being the only one who could stand being around you for any length of time, for good reason I might add, now you decide you want a friend. And not just any friend; you want to be friends with the guy whose heart you stomped on when you _used him_ to get to his brother. Yeah, that makes perfect sense."

"You know what, Rosalie, I'm done talking to you. I could stand here and try to explain it to you until I'm blue in the face, and you would never understand. The truth is that I'm in love with him, but I don't expect you to believe me. So go ahead, think what you want, because I'm done trying to explain myself to someone who refuses to listen."

Pivoting, Bella resumed her path to the cafeteria. Replaying the recent conversation in her head, she was fuming by the time she reached the doors. Edward was waiting for her there, leaning against the wall as he watched her stormy progress. Concerned, he drew her towards their bench where they could talk without being ogled by the rest of the student populace.

In response to his entreaty about the source of her distemper, she told him that she'd had a run-in with Rosalie.

"What did she say this time?" he sighed. Even though he knew the confrontation was likely inevitable, he still wished he had the power to shield Bella from the rest of the world.

"Well, let's see. She questioned my motives and wondered how I hoodwinked you into being with me, called me a conniving trollop, and asked if I was trying to use you again. You know, pretty much what everyone else in the school is wondering, just a bit more direct." Her wry tone was not lost on him. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he tucked her closer into his side, lightly rubbing his thumb across her fingers with his free hand.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Rosalie slink past them towards the cafeteria doors. The expression on her face stunned him. Instead of looking furious at seeing the two of them together, she merely compressed her lips into a grim line and curtly nodded. The only explanation that he could come up with was that something had happened during her tête-à-tête with Bella.

"What in the world did you end up telling her?" he wondered aloud, still staring at the spot Rosalie had just left.

"Nothing much," Bella evaded. "Just that it was between you and me and that she should butt out."

"Really?" He ardently wished he could have been there to see how she had reacted to being told to butt out. Hardly anyone tried to tell Rosalie Hale what to do, and he was curious how she'd reacted.

"Well, I didn't like the way she was talking about you like she was your mother or something, so I told her that she needed to let you make your own choices. She didn't like it, but it needed to be said."

Edward stared at her with newfound respect. "Thank you," he murmured earnestly. He couldn't believe that Bella had defended him like that. Somehow, it was different from being defended by Em or Rose. Their defense was based on the premise that anyone who messed with him would have to go through them as well. Bella's argument was that he could take care of himself. Whereas the other actions made him feel weak and vulnerable, Bella's assertion made him feel suddenly powerful and strong. Strong enough to not want to hide from their peers any longer. He was proud to be with her, and he wanted the rest of the school, especially his brother, to see that.

Standing, he pulled her up alongside him, firmly claiming her lips as his own before grabbing her hand and leading her inside. Automatically, he started leading her towards his usual table when Bella tugged his hand to get his attention. Questioningly, he stopped in his tracks.

Without a word, she changed direction and led him to a deserted table in the back. Though she was pleased that he had taken the initiative, she was nowhere near ready to sit next to her two adversaries throughout the rest of the lunch period. Instead, she pretended to not notice the stares and glares of their peers, the fiercest coming from the table they had just turned away from.

No sooner had they sat down than Alice and Jasper plunked down next to them. The remainder of their break played out nearly identical to the wish that Edward had played out in his mind just the day before. He was sitting next to Bella and his best friend. He was the one making her laugh today, and he reveled in the sound. He was so content that he did not even let Alice's presence affect him too much.

The one glaring dark spot was the absence of his brother. Instead of joining in the frivolity, Emmett was glowering in their direction. Next to him, Rosalie seemed temporarily mollified, but he knew from the firm set in her jaw that the battle was far from over.

**AN: I'm hoping this chapter makes you hate Bella a little less. Did it work? Click on the little green button to let me know! (BTW, you have no idea how hard it was to keep Rosalie's rant as tame as it was. I did not know the girl had such a mouth on her!)**

**Remember, reviews make me want to write more! The last few chapters have received quite less than other chapters. Come on people, show me the love!**

**Thanks as always goes out to dragonsexist and americnxidiot for their feedback--especially regarding a vernacular problem I had!**


	19. New Plans

_Disclaimer: Still don't own Twilight_

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 19—New Plans**

Two pairs of eyes, one blue and one brown, watched as the new couple laughed and joked together. When the girl tenderly rubbed the boys back in an intimate gesture, Brown Eyes snarled.

Slamming his hands on the table, he startled Blue out of her musings. "I can't take this anymore. They've been carrying on like that for a week now. Every day, she lures him in further. It has to stop!"

In a move similar to the one that they had just witnessed, Blue rubbed his back soothingly. "Easy, Em. Calm down."

"Calm down? How the hell am I supposed to calm down when Satan's mistress keeps sinking her claws further into my brother? Tell me, Rose, because I really don't see what there is to be calm about in this situation."

"It's not exactly like there's much that we can do, you know. He's a big boy; he can make his own choices."

Emmett stared at her, disbelieving. "Who are you, and what have you done with my girlfriend?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm being serious here."

"So am I! Where's the spitfire who was just as upset about this as I was? Admit it, a week ago you were just as much out for Bella's blood as I was. What happened?"

"I don't know. I guess I just figured that Edward is adult enough to choose who he wants to spend time with. It's not like we can tell him who to date." Inwardly she cringed at how similarly her words had unintentionally paralleled those said by Bella earlier, but she could not deny that they held true, no matter who said them first.

"I wish we could," he muttered before continuing louder. "Why couldn't he just date Jessica? She's cute enough. And there's no way she'd hurt him as much as Bella."

Rosalie sighed. _And we're back to Jessica again._ "Em, give it up. He doesn't like her."

"Why not?" he pouted. "If not Jessica, then couldn't he pick another girl? _Anyone_ would be a better choice than Bella."

"Lauren?" Rosalie offered pointedly.

Emmett shuddered. "Okay, _almost_ anyone else. But still, why does it have to be _Bella_? What does he see in that…girl…that could possibly make all of this worth it?"

"Maybe we should find out," she murmured, her eyes narrowing in contemplation. Catching onto her change in mood, he watched her speculatively, silently encouraging her to continue. "If we find out what hold she has on him…"

"Then we can figure out a way to break it," he finished. "There's my girl," he glinted at her wickedly. "So what's the plan? How do we find out her weak spot?"

"Well, you're not going to like it," she warned. "We're going to have to get close to them."

"Okaaay…" Emmett prompted. Rolling her eyes at his obtuseness, Rosalie clarified.

"That means we're going to have to be nice to them. Get close, be friendly, get them to confide a bit, and then wham, we'll hit her where it hurts!"

"Rose, my love, you're a bit evil. I like it. But how do we get them to confide? It's not exactly like they trust either of us right now."

"Well, you have the easy part. Edward loves you. All you need to do is be there for him. Sooner or later, he's going to open up to you. Ask a few probing questions here and there, and eventually we should be able to see why he's really with her."

"Seriously, why is he? I'm not buying this 'she's changed and now we're in love' crap. People don't just change like that."

"I know, and that's exactly why we need to find out what's really going on."

*****

Emmett waited until he and Edward were alone at the house before setting their plan into action.

"So, Edward, how are things with Bella?"

Edward eyed his brother warily. "Things are fine, thanks," he drawled out cautiously.

"Good." He allowed for an awkward pause while he braced himself for the next unpleasant task that he had before him. "So, Rose and I were wondering if you and Bella wanted to go out for dinner one of these nights. Sort of like a double-date."

Wide-eyed in disbelief, he was momentarily at a loss for words. _His mood swings are going to give me whiplash one of these days, I swear. _"Since when do you and Rose want to spend time around Bella?" he asked suspiciously.

"Since now, I guess," Emmett shrugged. "Besides, if you're determined to keep her around…"

"I am," Edward interrupted.

"Then it's something I'll have to get used to," he continued. Sobering, he looked straight into his brother's eyes. "I don't want her to come between us. You're my brother, and I love you. That's not going to change just because I don't like your girlfriend."

Thrown by the uncharacteristic seriousness from his brother, Edward awkwardly agreed to talk to Bella about it before leaving the room.

Emmett smiled. Whipping out his phone he sent one text to Rose. _Phase one is in motion._

*****

"Let me get this straight. He asked Edward if you wanted to do a double date? With him and Rose?"

"That's what he said," Bella sighed, sinking further into the couch, exhausted from rehashing all of the details with Alice. Unsatisfied with simply hearing Edward's version of the events, Alice wanted her to relive all of her encounters with Rosalie and Emmett from the time they first found out the truth. That meant remembering the intense encounter she had with Rosalie last week, which tended to be emotionally draining.

"What are you going to do?" Alice's question brought Bella back to the present.

"I guess we're going to have to go. I don't really see a way to avoid it."

"But why now?" Alice pressed. "I mean they've hardly been subtle about their opinion of you."

"You too," Bella interjected.

"So why choose to spend time with you now?" Alice continued without missing a beat. "Besides, it doesn't matter what they think of me. Neither I nor Jasper are connected to them, so why should their opinion matter?" Her voice held a note of defiance as she responded to Bella's last statement.

"True, you're not really connected to Rose or Emmett," Bella conceded. Neither girl mentioned the one person whose opinion _did_ matter. Edward's refusal to acknowledge Alice beyond basic politeness had not gone unnoticed. The last time the four of them had been together, Edward had alternately talked and laughed with Jasper and Bella without once making eye contact with Alice or responding to anything she said.

It had spawned one of her biggest confrontations with Edward since they had started over that day in the woods.

"What is your problem? Why are you being so rude to Alice?" she turned on him, as soon as they were alone in the car.

"_My problem? Do you seriously expect me to just ignore her part in the little scheme you guys cooked up? She lied to me." _

"_She said she was sorry."_

"_She told _Jasper_ she was sorry, not me, and I for one am in serious doubt about her true motives."_

"_What are you talking about?" Bella spat out, exasperated._

"_I mean that I don't believe she's really sorry about anything. It's not as though she's changed in any way that I can see. I don't know how Jasper puts up with it, personally. She plays the part of the puppet master, and he just dances around for her, happy as a clam."_

"_Not a very flattering picture of your friend is it?" she scoffed._

"_Maybe not, but it's the truth. She has him wrapped around her little finger. It's like the whole lying and manipulating never even existed."_

"_She didn't do it alone, you know. I'm just as guilty as she is," she reminded him lowly. Despite her reluctance to rehash a sore spot, she knew that she needed to say something._

_Pulling into her driveway, Edward rubbed his temple. "I know," he sighed. "I know it doesn't make any sense."_

"_So why are you still so angry with her? She made a mistake. We both made mistakes. We know that. Can't you forgive her?" she pleaded._

"_No!" Bella sat, momentarily shocked speechless at his vehemence._

"_You're not going to get over this, are you?" After letting the words hang for a moment, she startled him by asking "why are you with me?"_

"_What?!" His eyes dilated at the unexpected question._

"_Why are you with me? If you haven't gotten over Alice's part, there's no way you've gotten over my own. So what are we doing?" She forced herself to ask the questions burning in her chest, even though she knew that his answer had the power to destroy her._

_Reaching over, Edward pulled her towards him, cradling her against his chest as he stroked her hair reassuringly. "I'm sorry, Bella. You're right; I've been unfair to Alice. I'm just…not ready to look past her using me and Jasper as her little puppets."_

"_You didn't answer the question," Bella mumbled against his shirt, her heart breaking._

_This time, it was Edward's turn to sigh, breathing deeply from her hair, attempting to draw strength there. "To be honest, I don't know. But the one thing I do know is that I love you. I don't know about anything else, but I know that much."_

_As he continued to stroke his fingers through her locks, he became aware of a damp spot growing on his shirt where Bella's head rested. Concerned, he tipped up her chin to see tears rolling down her cheeks. _

"_Bella? What's wrong?" he asked, smoothing the wetness away with his thumb._

"_You love me?" she whispered._

"_Of course I do," he smiled, despite his look of confusion. _

"_You've never said it before." Rolling their conversations through his mind, he was shocked that she was right. He _hadn't_ said the words to her before. Come to think of it, he'd told everyone _except_ her._

_Cupping her face, he looked deep into her watery eyes and repeated, "I love you. I love you, Bella Swan."_

"_I love you, too." Bella was barely able to finish the last word before Edward's lips descended, cutting off any further attempt to speak._

"Bella!" Alice's impatient voice broke into her pleasant reminisces. Judging from her demeanor, she had been trying to get her attention for some time.

"Hmm? What?"

"Man, you were miles away. Thinking of something pleasant?" Alice smirked.

Bella's reply came in the form of a pillow, which she threw at her friend's head. Laughing, Alice caught the cushion before beginning to pummel her with it.

"Okay, okay! I give!" Bella shrieked her surrender.

As if nothing unusual had happened—as it was not altogether unusual behavior for the two of them—Alice demurely plunked the pillow back on the couch and repeated her question.

"As I was saying, before you disappeared into La La Land, Why do you think Emmett and Rosalie are so keen on spending time with you and Edward all of a sudden?"

"Like I told you, I don't know," she sighed, pushing her now mussed hair out of her face. "Maybe they feel guilty or something. Or maybe they just want to spend time with Edward, like they said. Maybe they heard a sermon on forgiveness and they got convicted. I have no idea."

"Yeah, or maybe they're up to something," Alice added.

Eyeing her through narrowed eyes, Bella smirked. "Not everyone is an evil mastermind like you, you know."

"And not everyone says what they mean, either," she countered.

"Whatever." Bella brushed off the warning. "The point is, Edward and I are working on the whole trust issue, and if I expect him to trust me, I need to trust him, too."

"Yes, trust _him_. There's absolutely no reason why you should be blindly trusting Em or Rose."

Leaning over, she cradled her head in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees. "Ugh! Can't this whole thing just be over already? I love him; he loves me. Can't that just be enough?"

"Sorry sweet cheeks," Alice laughed, rubbing Bella's shoulder. Bella glared at her, just slightly too intense to be completely playful.

"How did you get off so easy, anyway? I don't see you having to convince Jasper and his entire family that you being together is a good thing."

Lowering her hand, Alice sobered. "I know you got the short end of the stick on this one, but it's not as though I got off free completely."

"Yeah, you had to spend _so_ long convincing Jasper, didn't you? It took all of what, fifteen minutes before he forgave you?"

"You're right; Jasper did forgive me. His mother, however…Well, let's just say I'm not going to be welcome at a Whitlock family gathering anytime soon."

Bella sat up, suddenly concerned. This information was new. Silently, she waited for Alice to continue. Sighing, she did.

"Jasper's mom never really liked me; not since the makeover. She thought I was trying to 'steal her son away' or something. Anyway, when she found out about the whole Emmett scheme…"

"He told her?" Bella interrupted, aghast.

"We both did. The same day I told him. Anyway, after she found out, she basically refused me admittance to their house and forbade Jasper from ever seeing me again."

"What did he do?" she gasped.

"Well, he told her that he was going to make his own decisions, and if it came down to it, that he would be turning eighteen soon and that he'd just move out."

"How did she take that?"

"Not too well, as you can imagine," Alice smiled cynically. "But, in the end, they called a truce of some sort. So, Jasper and I still see each other, we just don't flaunt it in front of her."

"Alice, I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Bella, it's no big deal. So his mom doesn't like me. Big deal. We'll go away to college and move to the other side of the country after we get married. I hear Boston is nice." Her tone was light, but there was an edge of seriousness underlying the truth in her words.

"Besides, we have bigger challenges ahead, my dear," Alice smoothly shifted the focus off of herself. "Right now, we need to figure out what Rose and Em are up to."

"Ugh, not this again!" Bella covered her face with a pillow.

"I'm serious here, now focus! We know that they don't like you," she continued, ignoring the glare of death Bella shot her. "We know that suddenly they want to spend time around you and Edward, together as a couple…Of course!"

"'Of course' what?"

Alice's realization made her incapable of completely keeping the smugness off of her face as she answered. "If you were close to someone who was dating a person you despised, what would you do?"

"See if I could break them up," Bella answered matter-of-factly. Realizing what she had just said, she straightened, her eyes growing wide. "They're doing reconnaissance, aren't they?" she asked, horrified.

"Of course," Alice repeated. "Now the question is: what are we going to do about it?"

**AN--WOW! Unbelievable how many reviews have come in since the last chapter! Some of my readers have been "pimping me out," and I am very grateful to them! So now I'm wondering, how did you find this story? Thank you to all of my faithful readers who consistently tell me their thoughts on my chapters. Welcome to new reviewers.**

**As always, much love goes out to DragonsExist and americnxidiot for their help chapter after chapter.**


	20. Gauntlet

_Disclaimer: Nope, still have no ownership over the Twilight phenomena. Darn._

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 20—Gauntlet**

_Alice asked her, "If you were close to someone who was dating a person you despised, what would you do?"_

"_See if I could break them up," Bella answered matter-of-factly. Realizing what she had just said, she straightened, her eyes growing wide. "They're doing reconnaissance, aren't they?" she asked, horrified._

"_Of course," Alice smirked. "Now the question is: what are we going to do about it?"_

*****

"What are we going to do about it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. That's what we're going to do about it."

Alice gazed at her, shocked. "Nothing? You can't seriously believe that. Why the hell would you do nothing about Emmett and Rose planning to break you up?"

"Alice, think about it. Of course they're going to try and protect Edward. They love him. I have to believe that eventually they'll see that we're good together; that I love him too. All I need to do now is keep my eyes open and wait them out."

Slack jawed; Alice could not believe what she was hearing. Sure, it was a great idea in theory, but it just seemed so incredibly naïve of Bella to think that they would ever back off. Still, looking into her friend's hope filled eyes, she knew that she just didn't have it in her to break Bella out of her fantasy world. Sighing in resignation, she made a silent vow to do what she could to help. If Rose and Em were going to be scrutinizing Edward and Bella's relationship, than she would just have to scrutinize them as well. After all, somebody had to be keeping an eye on the dynamic duo; and if Bella was unwilling, then it was up to her.

*****

_Why does the drama always have to happen in the cafeteria? Seriously, they should call this place the theatre, not the crappy building with the tiny stage._ Bella was anxiously approaching what was formerly known as 'the Cullen table.' Ever since Edward had left, the term hadn't made sense and had been dropped. Now, the Cullen boys were being reunited—along with Bella, Alice, and Jasper. It made for an awkward reunion.

A part of her remembered the other first time sitting at the table. Back then; she had been so excited to be in such close proximity to Emmett that she had a tough time containing herself. Back then; she had hardly noticed the amazing boy beside her. She had taken him for granted. _Never again._

Rose broke the ice first by talking to the girls about the last cheer practice. Half of the squad was still struggling with the new routine, and they talked about how it could be broken down more. It was clearly a ruse for a conversational topic, as she had never needed input before on how to lead the team, but it was Rose playing nice. At least for the moment.

Eventually, Emmett tired of the overly polite atmosphere and decided to take control of the conversation. "So Bella, I'm sure Edward has told you that Rose and I were talking about going on a double date with you guys. Any requests?"

Startled, Bella stammered, "Um, I uh hadn't really thought about that, I guess. Anywhere would be fine though, I'm not really picky."

"Since when are you not picky?" Emmett's eyes hardened slightly, the only give away that his teasing tone was not entirely in jest.

"Since now, I guess. As long as we're all hanging out, it shouldn't really matter where we go, should it?" Bella answered nervously.

"I think what Em is trying to say is that most people have opinions about what it is they like to do," Rose interjected, her syrupy voice contrasted by the harsh glint in her eyes. "After all, we'd hate to plan something you don't want to do. You know how plans go. If everyone is not on the same page, someone might get their feelings hurt."

"Yes, I know how it is with plans," Bella met her steely gaze with one of her own. "And I can assure you that my feelings will not be hurt. As long as Edward is there, I'm happy." Just like that, the gauntlet that had been thrown down was accepted.

"Ah, so now it's all about Edward, is it? I'm sorry; you keep shifting around which Cullen boy you're after. It gets a bit confusing you know." Rose gave a mirthless chuckle.

"I think you know very well that Edward is the only one I'm interested in; Cullen or otherwise."

"Well you can see my confusion, I'm sure. After all, you seem so determined to become a Cullen by any means necessary that naturally I'm a bit suspicious over this newfound devotion to Edward, who by the way was practically invisible to you up until a few months ago, in case you've forgotten."

By this point, the two girls were trembling from barely restrained emotion. Edward picked up Bella's hand and gently held it, trying to silently comfort her.

"That's enough, Rose," Edward glared at her. "The past is in the past. Leave it there."

Rosalie glowered back at him before remembering the plan decided upon with Emmett. They were supposed to be trying to get the couple to relax around them, not become tense and defensive. The calmer they were, the more likely it was that some useful information would slip. Information that could confirm their affections—or provide the key to breaking them up.

In the meantime, she had some damage control to perform. Pasting on a sugary smile, she turned her attention back to Bella. "He's right. Let's put the past behind us. Friends?"

Bella stared at the proffered hand, the manicured nails suddenly seeming more like claws than a friendly invitation to start fresh. Yet what choice did she have? Edward looked at her questioningly, pleading silently for her to make amends in any way possible.

_It's for Edward,_ she reminded herself. Pasting on an equally saccharine expression, she shook Rosalie's hand. "Friends," she repeated.

Beside them, Alice was desperately trying to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. There were several reasons for her desire to repress her expression of amused distaste; among them being the fact that any attempt to thwart a show of friendliness from Emmett or Rosalie would only serve to give Edward more of a reason to hate and mistrust her. As of yet, he still had not said a friendly word to her since finding out that she had masterminded the Emmett scheme.

Sooner or later, she would do what she could to have that changed.

*****

Alice's chance to talk alone with Edward did not come until the day of the double date with Emmett and Rosalie. Alice had come over early to help Bella mentally prepare for the event. Edward was, of course, there as well. Between the two of them, they were able to convince Bella that it was possible for her to survive the evening and that they both loved her, no matter what resulted from the date.

When Bella left to change into her date outfit, Alice finally had her chance.

"Edward? I've been meaning to talk to you."

Edward scoffed as he folded his arm and stared at the wall in front of him. "So what's been stopping you?"

Ignoring him, Alice continued. "I know you probably already know this, but I'm really sorry about everything that Bella and I put you through a few months ago. I didn't know how it would all turn out. I'm sorry we hurt you."

This time, Edward laughed outright. "You didn't know how it would turn out? Sorry if I don't believe you, but how exactly did you think it would turn out? Aside from the fact that neither of you got Emmett, I'd say things went exactly according to plan. You and Bella got close using Jasper and I, and we were tossed to the side when we were no longer needed."

"Hey, now. There was no tossing aside on our part. If memory serves me, you were the one who left Bella, not the other way around." Alice's own temper was starting to spark.

"Yes, I left Bella when I found out she was using me. It was a preemptive strike. What choice did I have? Are you seriously going to sit there and tell me that Bella would have given up on the plan for me?"

"Is that so hard to believe? She loves you!"

"She loves me _now._ As for the way she felt back then, I still have no idea what was real."

Alice sat back for a moment in contemplation. Sighing, she glanced in the direction Bella had gone before speaking. "Bella would probably not be happy about me betraying her confidence, but in this case I think it's necessary."

Intrigued, Edward finally turned and looked at her; leaning closer to catch her lowered words.

"Bella was much more conflicted about what she was doing to you than even she knows. Do you remember the day we all went down to the river after your first date? Bella and I went for a walk. She tried to back out of the plan. She told me that she'd seen Emmett and Rose together, really seen them, and they looked so happy and in love, that she didn't think it was right to try to break them up."

Edward snorted. "Emmett. Always Emmett," he muttered.

Alice pierced him with her eyes before continuing. "That was the reason she gave, but I don't think that was the real reason." Making sure she had his full attention, she elaborated. "I think she was falling in love with you, even back then, and it scared the shit out of her. She had no idea what it was that she was feeling, only that she'd never felt anything like it before. You should have seen the way she would look when she talked about you. I've never seen her like that over anyone else; not even Emmett."

Pondering this new information, Edward was forced to shift his outlook on his early time with Bella. Back then, he had thought that she had begun to soften towards him, but after her confession, he had convinced himself that it had all been in his own mind. Now, he felt his paradigm shift once more.

"She really loves me?" he whispered in wonderment.

"For a long time now," Alice affirmed quietly. "She just didn't know it."

When Bella reentered the room, it was to find two of the most important people in her life sitting side by side, each lost in thought. In truth, she was impressed that she had not heard shouts or signs of struggles while she had been gone. Indeed, there even seemed to be a peace between them, as if they had reached an understanding. The thought of her best friend finally getting along with the love of her life filled her with happiness.

Crossing the floor, she perched herself onto Edward's lap, placing a soft kiss on his lips before pulling back.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked cheerfully.

Edward stared at her as if he had never seen her before. Though she had left his side no more than half an hour ago, she seemed different, and he knew that the change had been with him. Gazing into the brown eyes that looked back adoringly, he wondered how he had missed seeing it for what it was. _She loves me. How could I have been so blind? She loves me. _Me! _Lord, I have no idea what I've done to deserve the love of such an angel, but thank you._

Noting her eyes becoming puzzled, he finally remembered that she had asked him a question. "Yeah, let's go," he managed to choke out before claiming another kiss. _I love having her so conveniently placed. I wonder what I'd have to do to keep her here all the time?_

After setting Bella on her feet before rising to join her, Edward claimed her hand guiding her towards the door. Before they left however, he shocked everyone in the room, including himself, when he leaned down to give Alice a slight hug.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Tears obscured her vision, as she replied, "No worries."

Bella waited until they were alone in the car to ask him what the exchange had been about.

"Nothing much. She just gave me some things to think about."

Bella attempted to dissect his satisfied smile, but to no avail. Sighing in surrender, she settled for simply interlacing their fingers, smiling when he brought their joined hands to his lips.

In that moment, the world was perfect. Too bad they were headed for the lions' den.

*****

Pulling up at the restaurant, Edward reluctantly released her hand so that he could park the car. Before opening his door, he leaned closer, gently cupping her cheek and urging her to look at him.

"Just remember, no matter what happens tonight, I love you," he reminded her. "Nothing they can do will change that." His eyes penetrated her own, paralyzing her under their force and holding her captive. Noticing her state, his lips quirked upwards. "Breathe, Bella."

At his words, she did just that. Chuckling embarrassedly, she leaned closer to give him a chaste kiss. "I love you, too," she mumbled against his lips before pulling back with a sigh. "Let's get this over with."

Suddenly, he was out of the car and holding open her door. Reaching for her, their fingers once again entwined as they made their way towards the restaurant where Emmett and Rosalie were waiting.

The hostess led them to their table where Rosalie and Emmett were already comfortably seated. Emmett's arm was draped over the back of her chair, and she was leaning into him as they talked softly. They looked relaxed and content.

Once Edward and Bella were seated, however, the relaxed atmosphere at the table was dispelled, replaced with one of tension.

Bella and Rosalie exchanged brief and insincere greetings while the brothers nodded towards each other. Inside, Rosalie was seething. Every time she saw Bella latched onto Edward as though he was her prized possession, it made her blood boil. True, Bella's assertion that Edward could take care of himself had struck a chord with her, but she couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that Edward was not thinking clearly enough to be very rational.

Bella shifted uncomfortably in her seat under the harsh stares of Emmett and his girlfriend. Sensing her apprehension, Edward began gently kneading the taught muscles of her back, relaxing her almost instantaneously.

Not much was said as they examined their menus and gave their orders to the server. The tension descended once more as soon as they were alone again. Like before, Emmett was the one to break the silence.

"So Bella, I hear you and Edward have been enjoying spending time in the great outdoors."

Bella smiled at the neutral topic. "Yes. Edward has introduced me to the pleasures of hiking."

"He does that," Emmett chuckled affectionately. "I remember when we first moved here, all he wanted to do was hang out in the woods every day after school. As soon as he came home, he'd be off exploring. He tried to get me to come with him a few times, but it's just not really my thing."

"Why not?" she asked curiously.

"Well for one thing, it's pretty damn lonely walking around in the woods by yourself."

Edward huffed exasperatedly. "Why do you think I was trying to get you to come with me?"

Emmett just shrugged, sloughing off the comment. "And for another reason, I can't take the slow walk up and down hills, weaving in and out of trees. Give me some level ground I can run full out on any day."

"Not everything needs to be done at a sprint, you know," Edward chided. "Some of us like taking our time."

"So how did he get you to go along with his wilderness expeditions, Bella?" Rosalie interjected. "You've never really seemed like much of a nature lover before."

Bella smiled with just a hint of caution. "There are a lot of things I wasn't before that Edward has brought out in me."

"Oh? Like what?" Rose probed.

"Well, like hiking. You're right, I never really enjoyed it before, but now I appreciate how peaceful it can be; even off the trails." At her last sentence, she and Edward exchanged knowing smiles, much to the confusion of the other couple.

"How did you get into hiking, Edward?" Rosalie asked in an attempt to steer the conversation once more.

Edward thought for a bit, phrasing his thoughts. "I guess it started back in middle school. It was a good way to get out and be by myself; to sort things out."

"What needed sorting?" Bella asked the next question. She hadn't given much thought to why Edward liked hiking so much. She knew that she would find little enjoyment in it were it not for his presence.

"School, life, things like that."

"Yeah, because that answer isn't vague at all," Emmett scoffed. Edward rolled his eyes.

"It's personal." The finality of his tone was hard to miss.

"What, too personal to talk about with your brother? Too personal to talk about with the girl you claim to be in love with?" Emmett challenged.

"How about too personal to discuss here in a public setting," Edward snapped, tightening his fingers around Bella's shoulder slightly. Bella responded by comfortingly rubbing his knee with her thumb.

"It's okay; we don't need to talk about it here," she murmured. Edward gave her a small smile in thanks, his fingers loosening.

An awkward silence hung over the table until the server returned with their orders. Even then, the table was silent except for the sounds of chewing and swallowing, dulled by the quiet hum of conversations around them.

Finally, Emmett could stand the silence no longer. "You know, I still find it kind of hard to believe that you two are actually together now," he blurted.

_I didn't realize I'd ordered the can of worms along with my linguini, but I guess I must have, since Emmett is opening it,_ Edward thought. Pasting on what he believed to be a friendly smile, though it felt incredibly strained, he answered his brother. "Well, here we are."

"I mean," Emmett continued, barely pausing, "who would have guessed that my brother would snag the cheerleader?" He chuckled. "It's a little bit like an after-school program script."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bella challenged, hackles raised. "What does my being a cheerleader have to do with anything? And why would it be so hard to imagine me wanting to be with Edward?"

"Whoa there," Emmett held up his hands in mock surrender. "I didn't mean any offence. I just thought that Edward doesn't seem like the kind of guy you usually go for."

"Yeah, didn't you used to date that Jacob guy?" Rosalie interjected, picking up on Emmett's train of thought. "I guess I thought that would be more your type: tall, dark and handsome."

Bella glowered. "Yes, tall, dark, handsome, and completely arrogant. Seriously, the guy couldn't pass a mirror without checking himself out. I swear, he'd date himself if he could." The mood was effectively lightened, bringing a chuckle from everyone there.

"So, why did you go out with him in the first place?" Rosalie pressed. "I mean, you guys went out for a while, didn't you?"

"Yes," Bella clipped. "And then we broke up."

"But still, you had to have been interested in him at some point, right?" she pushed. "After all, you had to have said yes the first time."

Bella refused to answer, choosing instead to attempt to quell the topic with a firm look. She knew exactly why she had dated Jacob. It was similar to why she had first started dating Edward. Jacob was on the football team with Emmett, and she had wanted to be close to him. Thoughts of her selfish and callous treatment of others in her past sickened her. Looking at Edward, she found a new term to apply to him: savior. He had helped save her from herself.

Beside her, Edward was silently churning with a myriad of emotions. His gut twisted at the reminder of the other boys Bella had dated before him. Jacob was a particular sore spot. For nearly six months he had watched him paw all over her. He had lasted longer than the others. It had been the first time he had faced the fear of losing her forever to someone else. Even though she had no idea he had even existed at that point, he had already been completely infatuated with her. The fact that she had always been, and would always be, out of his league continually haunted him. Insecurities brought to the surface by Emmett's unthinking words pierced him.

Noticing his tension, Bella leaned over, lightly kissing his jaw and threading her fingers though his own. The effect was immediate as his shoulder muscles immediately unclenched, allowing him to breathe easily once again.

_Jacob may have gotten her at one point, but I'm the one who gets to keep her._

Halfway though the meal, Bella excused herself to visit the ladies room, which Rosalie insisted on accompanying her to. Once out of sight from the brothers, Bella turned on her heel to face the towering blonde.

"Okay, Rose. Just get it out."

"What do you mean?" Rosalie shot her an innocently confused look.

"I mean that whatever you're dying to say to me, why don't you just say it now and get it off your chest. Go ahead and get it over with before we go back and meet the boys."

Rosalie eyed her appraisingly. "Why so concerned about making a scene?"

Bella huffed. "Because it would make Edward uncomfortable. Now, if you have something to say to me, say it now before we go back there and finish off this god forsaken evening. With any luck we won't have to endure this trial again."

"Oh, so it's a trial being forced to be with Emmett and I? I'll have you know, it's no picnic being around the two of you either!"

"At least I'm not scrutinizing your every move, trying to find a weak spot in your relationship."

"Maybe not now," Rose shot back. At Bella's bewildered look, she clarified. "Can you deny that that's exactly what you and Alice were doing before you sank your hooks into the lives of two innocent boys? You were just waiting to pounce on any weak spot you could find. Admit it!"

"Yes," she spat. "Alright, yes. I admit that Alice and I were really stupid and tried to see if there were any holes in your relationship with Emmett, but did you see us manipulating the conversation or trying to make you look bad? Did we actively try to get Emmett to break up with you? No! We watched, and we kept our eyes open, but that was it."

"Oh please. 'That was it?' Are you really going to stand there and deny what you girls did to me? You told people that I was a stalker and a crazy person! You nearly had the whole school, and Emmett, turn against me before I was even given a chance. And the killer part, you didn't even know me. I was new to the school, and two of the most popular girls were actively telling people to avoid me. Do you have any idea what that does to a person? Can you even fathom how many nights I was nearly inconsolable over the fear of never being able to make friends?"

Bella stared at her in shock. "Rose," she hesitated. "I—I had no idea."

Sniffing back an unwelcome tear, Rosalie snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure you didn't."

"Seriously," Bella regarded her soberly. "I'm sorry, Rose. I was an idiot. I'm so sorry we did that to you. I had no idea it was so bad. You always sloughed it off, it was like nothing we did had any impact."

"Well, I wasn't exactly prepared to parade my troubles in front of my tormentors, now was I?" Rosalie scoffed.

"No, I guess not," she said softly.

Tossing her hair back, Rosalie straightened up, pushing her shoulders back. "Well, no matter. As Edward said, maybe we should leave the past in the past. Now, shall we get back to our boys?" Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel, marching back to the table.

Bella trailed after her. _Just how many lives have I completely fucked up?_

**AN--If you are still with me, thank you for your patience! Real life has been brutal, so sadly that means I will not be able to update as often as in the past. :( Hopefully this extra-long chapter helps make up for it. Maybe just a bit? Come on, show me some love so I don't get too sad to finish the story! **

**On a separate, but somewhat related note, I've written an outtake of this story called Oh, For the Love! It is meant to be a lighthearted alternate ending to this story, though I'm not sure how light it actually is. Check it out, I think it's kind of fun! And bonus, it's all EPOV, complete with inner monologue! Thanks goes to SaveMeRob for the idea!**

**As always, thanks to the fabulous americnxidiot and DragonsExist for their feedback and help. Trust me, you should be glad they prompted me to not send out my original draft! **

**Okay, this AN is becoming obscenely long. Leave me some love!**


	21. Amends

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 21—Amends**

Bella trailed after her. _Just how many lives have I completely fucked up?_

*****

Edward watched her approach the table. She was clearly lost in her thoughts, and those thoughts were clearly not pleasant. A quick look at Rosalie gave the impression that she was also affected by whatever had just happened between them.

As Bella reclaimed her seat next to him, he threaded their fingers once again, willing her to withdraw from whatever dark place she was in and return to him. When that failed, he raised their joined hands to place a soft kiss on the back of her hand.

At the touch, her eyes flew to his and she was suddenly thrust back into reality. Giving him a tremulous smile, she tried to assure him that all was well, even though she did not believe it herself.

The rest of the dinner was fairly uneventful, as both pairings were now equally desperate for their time together to end. When the server asked if they cared for any desert, they nearly bowled over the poor girl as they all firmly claimed the negative. There was a minor sparring between the boys over the check, but as the money ultimately came from their parents, it was of little import.

The drive home was tense, as Bella once again withdrew into her mind. Inside, she was cataloging the slights, insults, manipulations, and other selfish behaviors that she had done to others. Sadly, the instances were many.

Edward quietly observed her, leaving her to her thoughts as he drove. If there was one thing that he did understand, it was the need to sort out the swirling thoughts. So, he gave her the length of the drive to sort. Pulling into her driveway was the end of his restraint. He had to know what was torturing her, and he had to know now.

"Bella?" He waited until she inclined her head, showing that she was listening. "What happened back there between you and Rosalie?"

Lifting her eyes, he was shocked at the deep sadness that he saw in them. "Do you think I'm a bad person?" she asked softly, as if she had not heard his question.

"No, I don't think you're a bad person," he answered honestly, thrilled that he finally believed it to be true. "What brought this on?"

Looking away, she once again ignored his question and continued speaking. "I've done so many hurtful things. I don't even know why I did them now. Most of those people never did anything to me personally, and I was just so mean to them."

"Is this about me and Jasper?" he asked, trying to make sense of her words.

"You, Jasper, Rosalie, Jacob, countless others," she trailed off.

"Rosalie?" he asked, confused. "Where does she enter in? And what about Jacob?"

A mirthless chuckle escaped from her chest. "I still can't believe how many people I've fucked over just to try and get what I thought I wanted." Sucking in a deep breath, she looked him in the eye. If he wanted nothing to do with her after her revelation, she would have to accept that, but she couldn't deny herself the chance to soak in his presence as much as she could before that time came.

"The plan with you and Jasper wasn't the first time we had tried to get closer to Emmett," she said slowly, carefully gauging his reaction. "Alice and I tried a lot of other plans before our last one."

Instinctive pain flared up in his heart, but he shoved it down. He would deal with the pain later, but right now, she needed him. Something in his face must have convinced her that he was not about to shove her out and drive off, so she continued.

"When Rosalie first moved here, she was so beautiful. Alice and I knew that all the boys would fall in love with her, and we didn't want to take that chance. We spread rumors about her. We did everything we could think of to make sure she couldn't challenge us. Clearly, that didn't go as we'd planned," Bella finished with a self-deprecating shake.

"You and Alice started those rumors?" he asked quietly.

Bella nodded. Though his voice had remained emotionless, she could feel his disappointment as a physical force.

"What was all of that business about Jacob?" he pressed, determined to have all of the ugliness laid bare.

"Let's just say you haven't been the only person I've dated as part of the plan," she replied lowly. In that moment, she hated herself. Exposing her ugliness to Edward was humiliating and terrifying. It was as though she was seeing herself for the first time, and the image was not pretty.

Seeing her brokenness, Edward understood her vulnerability for the gift that it was. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he reached for her, pulling her close. Her body stiffened at the first touch, but as he continued to hold her, she slowly began to relax against him.

"Thank you," he said after a stretch of silence.

"For what?"

"For being honest with me. For trusting me enough to talk to me."

Noticing her uncomprehending expression, he elaborated. "We promised that we would be honest with each other, even if it hurt. Thank you for telling me what was on your heart, even though I know it wasn't easy."

"You don't hate me?" Her voice was small, reminding him of a child expecting a scolding but getting an unexpected reprieve.

"No, Bella, I don't hate you. I can't hate you. You're a part of me, now. Nothing is going to change that."

Time passed without either of them being aware as they held each other. Eventually, Bella became aware of their cramped position, and disentangled herself. With a final kiss goodnight, she exited and watched him drive away.

Turning to face the house, she squared her shoulders in resolve. She knew that the task before her was difficult, possibly impossible, but somehow, she would earn the faith that Edward had shown in her tonight. Somehow, she would become worthy of him.

It was time for a final plan.

*****

Driving home, Edward's mind replayed the conversation he had just had with Bella. It shouldn't have been a surprise that she and Alice had been behind the rumors that had surrounded Rosalie's arrival or that she had used other males before him. He knew who she had been. The old Bella was a cold-hearted manipulator, but that wasn't who she was anymore. He knew that she had changed.

The Bella who had done those acts of cruelty was not the one he was now in love with. That Bella never would have opened herself up so completely; never would have trusted him or anyone else. That Bella was gone. He just wished the rest of the world could see that.

Emmett was waiting for him when he pulled up. "Hey! We didn't stay for dessert, so I'm getting some ice cream. You want some?" he called from the kitchen.

Silently, the brothers constructed their own ideas of condiment bliss to accompany their sweet treat. The differences in their preferences were as different as the boys themselves, with Emmett piling on sugary toppings while Edward preferred to keep it simple and uncomplicated, concentrating on just a few additions.

Settling in front of the television with their desserts, neither spoke throughout the start of some show that didn't truly interest either of them.

"So, that was some dinner, wasn't it?" Edward started.

Emmett chuckled. "Yeah, it was definitely one for the books on awkward evenings."

"Well, you and Rose sure weren't helping to ease the tension much," Edward mumbled.

"What was that?" Emmett shot back. "We were being perfectly pleasant. It's not our fault that your little girlfriend is so sensitive. Maybe it's a byproduct of a guilty conscience," he needled.

"Or maybe you and Rosalie were completely out of line," Edward challenged back. "You didn't need to keep bringing up the past like that. It was uncalled for."

"Sorry if the past bothers you so much, little brother, but nothing can erase what has already happened. Maybe you just need to deal with it instead of trying to hide from it all the time."

"Is that what you think I'm doing? Hiding? Has it occurred to you that what happened in the past is between Bella and I, not you or Rosalie or anyone else, and that maybe we've already dealt with it?"

"Please. Don't try to tell me that it has nothing to do with me. Or have you already forgotten that _I_ was the one they were trying to trap in the first place?" Emmett scoffed.

"No, I don't need anyone to remind me that you were the one Bella used to want" Edward replied soberly. "Least of all you. But can't you see that she's not like that anymore? She's changed. She's not after you anymore, so if that's what you and Rose are so terrified of, you can relax."

"I don't give a damn if she's trying to get me or not; it won't change anything because I'm with Rose and she's the only one I'll ever be with. I just don't want you tangled up in anything."

"Aren't you listening!?! She's not after you! There is no plan! _I'm_ the one that she's after now. _I'm_ the one she loves, not you. I don't know what else I can do to get you to see that she's not the same Bella anymore. She's changed."

"And why would she change?" Emmett snorted.

"Haven't you ever changed because you fell in love?"

"I'm sorry if I'm having a little trouble believing that she's really in love with you after everything that's happened. You just don't treat people that you love like that."

"Oh, and how about making them feel like complete crap, is that okay?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Emmett asked, bewildered.

"I'm talking about the way you were acting in the restaurant tonight. Do you even realize how much you embarrassed me?"

"How did I embarrass you?" Now Emmett was truly confused.

"Are you serious? Would you like me to list all of the ways you've embarrassed me lately? How about finding it completely unbelievable that someone like Bella could ever be remotely interested in someone like me? And then to announce it like you did, as if it was hilarious, an 'after school special.'" Emmett tried to interrupt, but Edward continued. "And then to embarrass Bella like that. Throwing her past in her face."

"Hey, that was Rose, not me." Emmett defended.

"Right, and you would never stoop to bringing up her ex boyfriends? Like I'm supposed to believe that."

"Can't you see what's happening here?" Emmett exploded. "She's turning you against everyone, against your own family!"

"No, Em, you're doing that all on your own," Edward replied lowly before standing to leave. "I've never asked you for anything Em, but I'm asking now. Please, just be happy for me." Gathering up both dishes, he dropped them off in the kitchen, leaving his brother alone before heading to his room.

Emmett stared at his brother's retreating back, speechless from what had just happened. Edward had just effectively turned him out of his guardian role in his life. For as long as he could remember, he had been protecting his little brother from the harsh realities of life. Sure, he may not have been able to shield him from everything, but he had done his best, and that was what really mattered. Wasn't it?

Looking back, he saw himself, standing between Edward and the rest of the world. He could still remember Edward's first day of school, when their mother had told Emmett to look after him. He had taken her words to heart, and had tried to be the perfect big brother for his scrawny sibling. It hadn't been easy, trying to intercept as many bullies as he could. Edward seemed to be begging for a beating, the way he always had his nose in a book, refusing to fight back whenever someone took a swing at him. Edward had never had to fight; Emmett had always done it for him.

Maybe that was the problem. Maybe if he had helped Edward learn to protect himself, he wouldn't need so much protection against Bella. Maybe if he had taught him about self-preservation, he wouldn't be in this mess.

_Well, it's too late for "maybes" now. All I can do is be there for him when it all crashes down around him._

*****

Edward hadn't been in his room long before he heard a knock on his door.

"Go away, Emmett."

"It's mom," came the unexpected voice. Edward watched as his mom closed the door behind her before crossing to sit next to him.

"What are you and Emmett fighting about this time?" she asked without preamble.

Edward sighed, slumping against his headboard before answering. "We all went out to dinner tonight; me, Em, Rose and Bella. Em and Rose just kept laying into her. They kept going after her, bringing up the past whenever they could. It was completely unnecessary. And then he acts surprised that I'm defending my girlfriend? Unbelievable."

"Why were they going after her?"

"It was just the same bullsh…um, stuff that I told you about. They can't see past what she did, and they won't even try. It's like they're deliberately trying to break us up! It's like he can't stand seeing me happy, or something."

Esme waited for her son to calm down before speaking. "Do you really think your brother doesn't want you to be happy?"

"Ye… I don't know. I honestly don't want to believe that he doesn't want to see me happy, but how else am I supposed to take it? I'm happy. For the first time in my life, I'm actually happy, and it's all because of Bella. I love her. She makes me happy. Why would he not want that for me?"

"Did you ever think that he doesn't want you around Bella because he _does_ want you to be happy? After all, you had some trouble forgiving her for what she did as well. Now, I'm not saying you weren't justified," she cut off his objections, "I'm just saying that it took you awhile to believe she had changed, and it's going to take Emmett some time too. Just, please keep that in mind the next time your brother gets out of line. He does love you; he's just trying to do the best he can."

"But I never asked him to step in. I can take care of myself, he just needs to back off."

"What would you have done if it was Rosalie who had tricked Emmett?" Esme's question took him by surprise. "If she had broken his heart and then for all appearances gone back for more, wouldn't you step in and do what you could? Even if Emmett was being unreasonable?"

Edward stared at the floor in thought. He barely noticed his mother gently kissing his forehead before leaving him alone once more. What would he have done if it had been the other way around? Was there any way he would be able to move past Rosalie's betrayal? He wanted to believe he would, but deep down he knew that it wasn't so simple. Something big would have to happen to earn back his trust. He just wondered what it would take for Emmett to forgive Bella.

*****

When Edward arrived at Bella's house in the morning, she was armed with her new plan. Barely able to wait long enough for their customary greeting, she began speaking as soon as she was seated in the car.

"So, I was thinking last night about how horrible I've been to everyone, and how much I know that I've changed in the last few months, but how nobody else has really noticed because I haven't really done anything to make them realize how I'm not the bitch I used to be anymore. And I was thinking that somehow, I need to get it across that the old Bella is gone, and that the new Bella is here to stay. So, I need to do something drastic in order to get through to them, right? Something so completely out of character for the old me that they'll be forced to realize that I'm different now. So then I started thinking about what I could possibly do that would make that kind of an impact, and then I started putting myself in the place of those I was so cruel towards, and what I would want to see from the person who had tormented me, and that's when it hit me."

Edward sat blinking, trying to catch up on what she had been saying. When he did, he waited expectantly for Bella to catch her breath and continue.

"And?" he prompted. "What hit you?"

"Thought you'd never ask," she smiled. "I started making a list of all the people I was overtly mean to. I'm going to try to get them to talk to me so that I can apologize."

"So, your plan is to reenact the plot from 'My Name is Earl'?"

"In a nutshell, yes."

"That seriously has to be an insane idea."

"Why? Apologizing worked for us, didn't it?" Bella asked, a little hurt at his doubt in her brilliant plan.

Edward's face softened. "Yes, it worked for us, but that was largely due to the fact that I was head over heels in love with you, even though I was too stubborn to admit it."

"Well, regardless of the reason, I think it's my best option. Seriously, there's not really much else that I can do to make it up to people. Nothing can erase the past. You know that better than anyone."

Hearing her earnestness, he pulled back his cynicism. It was time for him to put on the role of supporting boyfriend, no matter how inane Bella's idea seemed. If it was important to her, he shouldn't be the one standing in her way.

"Okay, Bella. So where are you planning on starting?"

Thrown off by his about face, yet enthused nonetheless, Bella pulled out her list and began talking him through it during the short drive to school. She had obviously put a lot of thought and time into the list, as it was itemized and color-coded by the degree of apology needed. Green was for a simple apology, orange for mild groveling, and red for serious groveling.

Glancing over her shoulder, he was surprised that only five names were colored red. As he had just pulled into a parking spot, he reached over to pull the list out of her hands to get a closer look. There in red was his name, along with Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jacob.

"Jacob?"

"Well, I thought I owed him a bigger apology than the rest of the guys," she answered with embarrassment.

"What bumped him up from orange?" Edward pressed, not sure he truly wanted to know the answer.

"I just think I hurt him a bit more than the others," Bella evaded, ducking her head to look in her bag for an imaginary item.

"Come on, talk to me. What happened to make him be red?" Her refusal to give a straight answer was maddening.

"Fine," she sighed resignedly. "Remember how I told you last night that you weren't the first to be involved in my plan with Alice?" At his nod, she continued. "Jacob was the only other one I tried that route with. I started dating him because he was on the football team with Emmett, and I wanted an excuse to be with the guys. I picked Jacob because he and Emmett seemed pretty friendly. It was the same plan, really. Stick close by until he finally noticed me."

"So what happened? In the end, I mean."

This was Bella's least favorite part of the story. "I caught him cheating on me. I walked in on him making out with Vanessa."

"The girl he dated after you?"

"That's the one." Releasing a long breath, she went on. "She'd been in love with him forever, just waiting for him to notice her. Sound familiar?" she laughed mirthlessly. "The kicker is that he had noticed her. Or he was starting to, before I came along. They could have been together back then if it weren't for me."

"Idiot. Who would choose anyone else over you?" he scoffed.

"Biased," she reminded him softly. "But thanks all the same."

"So if he cheated on you, why does he deserve the extra groveling?" Edward wondered.

"Because it was my fault in the first place. He never should have been with me. I made him cheat in order to be with the one he should have been with all along."

"No, stop right there," Edward interrupted, his forcefulness surprising her. "You did not make him be a cheater," he enunciated, staring her down unblinkingly. "You can't make someone be a cheater. He chose that all on his own."

"But if it hadn't been for me—"

"He probably still would have cheated," he interrupted. "There were a million ways he could have made it right. Namely, he could have been a man and broken up with you instead of sneaking around behind you back. He could have talked to you."

"Not necessarily," she grumbled. "I wasn't exactly an easy person to talk to before you came along."

Pushing aside pride that he had evoked such a change in her, he persisted. "Regardless, he could have made it right."

"Maybe," she conceded. "But I still think I owe him some major groveling."

"Well, if you're going to apologize to the cheater, you may as well throw in Vanessa along with him," he grumbled.

"She's already on my orange list," she told him with a smille, tucking the list into her backpack. Leaning over, she kissed him quickly before reminding him that they needed to get to class or they would be late.

Walking into school hand in hand, he questioned why his own name was on the list. Bella snorted before asking if he was serious. When he persisted, claiming ignorance, she bantered back playfully.

"Oh, you know, just some minor little thing, no big deal. Just basing the entire start of our relationship on a lie. Same old, same old."

"Right, that! I knew there was something," he played along. "So, what does this groveling entail, then? That's what I really want to know."

"Well, I'm not so sure. Do you have any requests?"

"I might," he answered with a wicked gleam before pulling her in for a toe-curling kiss. Pulling him closer, she forgot that they were still standing outside the school with their peers swarming around them.

"That'll do for a start," he teased, breaking away for breath.

"That's your idea for a start on my groveling?" Bella asked innocently. When he nodded, she spun away, walking back towards the school.

"Where are you going?" he called behind her, perplexed.

"I need to find Jasper. Apparently, I have some 'groveling' to do. Maybe I should get some more chapstick before finding Rosalie, though."

Edward had by now caught up with her, catching her around the waist before pulling her backwards into him.

"I think that kind of groveling belongs to me only, don't you think?" he growled in her ear.

Shivering, she was glad he still had a hold on her, because his words had just knocked the strength out of her legs. Jerkily, she nodded as he guided her towards her class with a smirk.

Leaving her outside her door, he sneaked a brief bit of 'groveling' from her before reminding her to be good.

Shaking her head at the monster she had created, she entered her classroom. Almost immediately, she spied a small group of girls who were on her 'green' list. Glancing at the clock revealed that she still had a few minutes left before class started. Pushing back her shoulders, she took a deep breath. _No time like the present,_ she though, making her way towards the girls.

*****

By the end of the following week, Bella had made significant progress through her list. All of the names that were on the green list, and most of the orange list as well, had been addressed. As expected, most of her efforts had been met with disbelief, suspicion, and, at times, outright hostility. There were a few instances, however, in which she had been able to truly connect with the person she was apologizing to. Surprisingly, a few became openly friendly towards her afterwards. This in turn influenced some of the other students who had been suspicious before to regard her more favorably.

Having already made up as much as was possible with Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper, there was only one major name left on her red list.

Jacob.

It had taken several days before she had been able to pin him down to talk to him. At first, he was just as suspicious and hostile as his peers. The Bella he had known was always several steps ahead of everyone else, always with some plan simmering in the back of her mind. He knew from personal experience that life was better and simpler if Bella was not a part of it. When she persisted, however, he couldn't resist his curiosity any longer.

"Why the sudden change of heart, Bells? Why now?"

Cringing at the nickname, she forced herself to set it aside and answer him. She told him briefly about what had happened with Edward. How she had fallen in love, and how that had changed her. If it weren't for the blatant honesty in how she addressed her own part in the scheme, he probably would not have believed her. Yet somehow, he couldn't deny her honesty. It was startling to realize that he actually believed Bella Swan to be telling the truth.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I thought you deserved to know the truth."

"Thanks, Bella. That means a lot." Reaching over, he enveloped her in a crushing hug. Glad to have made such a breakthrough, she returned the gesture.

Edward watched the two from where he was sitting, proud in her victory, though perhaps not as pleased in its manifestation.

From the other side of the yard, Emmett and Rosalie viewed the display with different emotions. Though glad that they finally had concrete proof that would effectively cut Bella out of their worlds for good, it still panged them to know how much pain it would inevitably bring to Edward.

**AN--Yay, another update after an obscenely long break! Fortunately, most of the major time constraints will be finished after next week, so my updates will hopefully become more regular then (I hope!) Thanks to all of you for sticking with me.**

**Speaking of which, what did you think? It took me a really long time to write this, and I'm curious to know what YOU think about it. Come on, show me some love and spare me a few lines. You know you want to**

**Also, it may interest you to know that I have entered The Green Feeling Anon Contest. Naturally, I can't tell you which story is mine, but I'd love it if you'd hop on over and give the stories a read, and maybe a review. Who knows, you might pick mine as your favorite! Voting is March 10-14. (end shameless plug)**

**Thanks to DragonsExist for her awesome patience, support and advice (who by the way recently saw Robert Pattinson in the flesh recently. Do you think I'm jealous? Perhaps. Just a teeny, tiny, huge amount.) ;)**


	22. Consequences

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Chapter 22—Consequences**

Emmett stared across the room; oblivious to everyone but the couple he was watching. Not an hour had passed since she had been in Jacob's arms, and now she was sitting and laughing with Edward as if nothing were amiss. It made him sick; and not just for the obvious reasons.

Seeing Bella cheating on his brother with his own eyes had unleashed a storm of emotions in him. At first, he had been ecstatic that he finally had the proof he needed to remove Bella from his brother's life for good. There was no way she could deny having been with Jacob, especially since he had witnesses in all the other students who saw her little display.

Shortly after the exultation, he came crashing down when he thought about how devastating it would be to Edward when he was told about her infidelity. There was the very real possibility that her latest betrayal would hurt so much worse than the initial one. Edward's involvement with her was even deeper this time, tying him to her with knots that would not easily loosen.

Anger came next, as he was infuriated at the position he found himself to be in. It was impossible for him to avoid hurting his brother now. If he told him about what he had seen, he would be the bad guy who joyfully revealed that he had been right about her all along, thus breaking Edward's heart. If he stayed quiet, it would only be a matter of time before Edward found out the truth anyway, and then Emmett would again be the bad guy because he had hidden Bella's indiscretions, allowing her to hurt him even deeper. _Damn it!_ It was a lose-lose situation, no matter how he looked at it.

The only offering he could grant at this time was to wait until he and Edward were alone before telling him. That way, at least he wouldn't make a scene in front of the rest of the school. Biding his time until the end of the day was difficult, however. Bella continued to sidle up next to him, holding his hand as if she belonged there; as if she were innocent of any subterfuge.

Emmett silently thanked God when he remembered that Bella had cheer practice after school. That meant he had at least two hours to try and convince Edward of the truth without her interference. He just hoped it would be long enough.

*****

Walking through the front door later, Edward felt apprehensive. Emmett had been acting oddly all day. It seemed as though he would start to say something, only to change his mind before finishing the first word. Seeing his brother resemble an overgrown trout was an interesting experience, to say the least. Now that they were home, he was sure that he would finally find out whatever Emmett had to say that was so important. He didn't have to wait long.

After a few false starts, he finally snapped for Emmett to simply "spit it out."

"I saw Bella with someone else today," he finished in a rush.

Edward couldn't help himself; he laughed. "Okay, Bella is with a lot of people. It's not like I keep her tied to my side all the time." _Hmm, not a bad idea…_

"No, I mean I saw her _with_ someone else today," Emmett repeated. That sobered Edward up immediately.

"What are you talking about?" he asked coldly.

"Today at school. She was with Jacob. I'm sorry."

"Just, tell me what you saw." _Was there really something more to that hug than what I saw? What does Em mean that he saw them? Were they together again later? No, wait; Bella wouldn't do that. So what on earth is he talking about?_

"I saw her and Jacob talking, and then the next thing I know, they're hugging. They looked really cozy."

Edward stared at him, askance. "That's it? You had me all worried for _that_?"

Now, it was Emmett's turn to look surprised. "Isn't that enough? What more proof do you need? If you don't believe me, I can get a dozen witnesses in here to tell you the same thing. I saw—"

"You saw Bella trying to be a better person. She saw _apologizing_ to him. The hug you saw was him forgiving her."

"Bella was apologizing? Serious? _The_ Bella Swan was apologizing to Jacob Black, and you expect me to believe that?"

"Believe what you want, but that's the truth. And by the way, I saw the little hug you were talking about. It was right before Bella came back to _me,_ gushing about how well her talk with him had gone."

"Why would Bella be apologizing, though? I thought the girl was born without a conscience."

"Seriously, Em, have you been paying _any_ attention to what's been happening outside of looking for things that Bella has done wrong? She's been apologizing to everyone for over a week now." At Emmett's look of surprise, he elaborated. "She made a list of all the people she'd wronged, lied to, and manipulated, and now she's going around trying to make amends. She's even color coded it by the severity of the offence," he finished with fond amusement. _She's just so damn cute when she unleashes her inner nerd_. "She was excited about Jacob, because he was in the 'major groveling' tier."

"So wait, she was really just talking to him then?"

Edward sighed. "_Yes_. They were just talking."

Emmett sank down on the couch, covering his face with a massive hand. "Man, I'm a jerk."

"Yeah, you are. But don't worry, I'll still love you," he teased, playfully punching him on the shoulder.

"But why now?" Emmett pushed. "Why choose now to talk to all those people? I mean she's been at this for a really long time. What changed?"

"Um, well, I guess _I_ did," Edward replied, embarrassed. "She said that after everything that happened with us, she wanted to turn over a new leaf. Going around and doing what she can to make things right is her way of doing that."

Emmett stared at him. Had she really changed so much? For his kid brother? Thinking back, he did seem to remember her name being pandered around a lot lately, mostly involving her dredging up old skeletons that had either been forgotten, or simply wished to be unremembered. _Huh. Maybe she really is changing._

*****

The next day at school, Emmett found himself watching Bella closely, just as he had before. This time, however, it was as if he was seeing her for the first time. This time, he tried to watch her with the intent of figuring her out. What he saw surprised him.

Bella had changed.

The swagger she once had was now replaced by a simple stroll. Whereas in the past she had constantly surveyed her surroundings, her attention now seemed entirely focused on Edward and whoever else she was talking to. The most revealing changes, however, were the slight nuances that were nearly imperceptible to a less focused observer. It was seen in the slight way her body was always angled towards Edward, the soft smiles they exchanged when they thought no one else was watching, the way she seemed to sense Edward's needs before he was even aware of them.

It reminded him of Rosalie.

Even now, after having been together for so long, Rosalie still had a habit of making sure he was always in her periphery, same as he did for her. Her soft, secretive smiles continued to pull him in, as though the rest of the world no longer existed. It had been powerful and forceful in the beginning of their relationship, and the pull between them had not lessened much in the intervening years.

The look on Edward's face reminded him of his own during that time.

So maybe Edward was right. Was it possible that she had really changed? That love had indeed changed her?

"Are you okay, babe? You look like you're miles away." Rosalie's sweet voice pulled him out of his trance.

"Yeah, fine," he mumbled distractedly.

"Really? Because you sure don't seem 'fine'. What's going on?" she asked gently.

"I've just been thinking about Edward and Bella," he finally admitted.

"Yeah, and what else is new?" Rosalie scoffed. "It seems like that's all you ever think about these days," she mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, bewildered.

"Oh come on, Emmett. For the last few weeks, Bella and your brother have been in the front of your mind." There were times during the last several weeks that Rosalie wondered if Bella's original plan may have worked after all. The more effort Emmett expended on Bella, the less time he seemed to have for Rosalie. He was more concerned about his brother's relationship than his own.

"So anyway, did you tell Edward about what we saw? About Jacob?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"Yeah, and get this: he already knew," Emmett answered, frowning to show that he had not forgotten her comment. "Not only that," he continued, "but he's okay with it. Proud of her actually."

"Okay, you need to tell me what the hell you're talking about, because I feel like I just fell into an episode of the Twilight Zone. Why is he proud of her?"

Emmett relayed to her the talk he had had with his brother, including his recent thoughts and observations about the suspected change in Bella, which had become increasingly more believable. By the time he finished, she was speechless.

"So what you're saying is…"

"I think Bella may have really changed," Emmett finished.

"Well, clearly something is going on," Rose surmised. "I'm still just not sure what it is."

"Do you think she could be for real?"

"Honestly? I think she might be. I mean, I've never seen her go to such lengths before. Either she's serious about changing, or that girl belongs on Broadway because her acting skills are incredible."

The couple sat in silence, each lost in thought.

Rosalie flashed back to the confrontation she'd had with Bella back when the reinstatement of her relationship with Edward had been made known. Bella had been so protective of Edward, standing up for him in a way that nearly made Rosalie ashamed of herself. Though at the time it had infuriated her, as the scene replayed itself in her memory, she could see how Bella had been right.

The truth was that she and Emmett tended to see Edward as the poor duckling that needed help and protection from the cruel world. Bella seemed to see him as a man who could protect himself. The shift in perspective was difficult to undergo, but faced with the facts before her, she didn't feel as though she had much of a choice.

The fact was, Edward was more than capable of looking after himself. Somewhere along the way, he had matured and become a man in his own right. Before Bella had become involved, Edward had been socially awkward, preferring to stay by himself or with Emmett or Jasper. Now, he could converse easily with any one of his peers. It was clear in the way he carried himself that he had more confidence. He didn't slouch or try to hide in Emmett's humongous clothes anymore.

For better or for worse, and she was tempted to lean towards the better, Bella had changed him.

Maybe that alone warranted a second chance for Bella. It was clear that she made him happy in a way that she had never seen him before. She had taken a shy boy and turned him into a confident man. For that, she was grateful…even if the method was reprehensible.

Rosalie was so caught up in her musings that Emmett's voice startled her when he spoke.

"So what do we do now?"

"I guess we have some apologies to make of our own," she sighed.

Emmett made a face. "Ugh. I hate apologizing."

"Suck it up, big boy," she teased. "If Bella can do it, so can we."

*****

Rosalie and Emmett did not get a chance to talk to Bella and Edward until the end of school. As they were walking towards their respective cars, the repentant twosome fell in step with them.

Bella looked up in surprise at their unexpected presence, only to be further shocked by Rosalie's inquiry about whether or not she would be stopping by the Cullen house after school. She had not set foot in the house ever since the fateful day when everything had gone to hell with one word. This was mostly in avoidance of the couple standing before her. Now, however, the situation had clearly changed.

Exchanging a quick glance of shared surprise with Edward, she agreed to come over. A wave of relief washed over Rosalie's face as she took up Emmett's hand to redirect their course towards his jeep.

"Well that was unexpected," Edward muttered.

"No kidding," Bella agreed. "Where did that come from?"

"Not sure, but maybe they're actually coming around."

"Coming around?"

"About us," he explained. "I had a little talk with Emmett the other day, and I think it may have helped him see that we really are together, and that it's not going to change anytime soon."

"It's not?" she questioned teasingly, eyes wide with innocence.

"Well, not as long as you keep up on your groveling. Come to think of it, I think you are way overdue in that area," he teased back, leaning down to capture her lips.

Bella smiled as they parted. "I thought that I was the one who was supposed to be groveling."

"Hmm. Well, we can always take turns," he said as he bent towards her again.

*****

Bella and Edward walked cautiously through the front door, still uncertain as to what Emmett and Rosalie had in store. To their surprise, the couple was seated on one side of the couch watching a movie. When they heard them come in, Emmett gestured towards the empty section, inviting them to join him and Rosalie.

The movie was nearly over when Rosalie stood up to replenish the refreshments. Looking over her shoulder, she silently implored Bella to join her.

Flashing back to the last private talk she'd had with Rosalie, Bella followed at a safe distance until they were in the kitchen. Once the door closed behind them, Rosalie whirled around to face her. Bella reflexively began bracing herself before slowly becoming aware that there was no malice in Rosalie.

"Bella, I just…I wanted to say that, Em and I…I mean, don't get me wrong, I still think we were right at the time, but, I guess things have changed now, and…"

Bella watched, fascinated at Rosalie's lack of composure. She had never seen her look so flustered before, and she was dumbfounded as to the cause, as she tried to make sense of the ramblings.

"What I mean to say is," she continued, "I'm sorry."

The kitchen was so quiet that they could hear the movie playing faintly in the background from the other room.

"You're sorry?" Bella questioned haltingly.

"Yes. Em and I, we're both sorry."

"For what?" Despite her suspicions, Bella needed to be sure that she knew exactly what Rose was sorry for, and what she possibly wasn't sorry about at all.

"For everything. For doubting you and Edward, for trying to break you up, for spreading around the rumors. For everything we've done in the last few months to try and make you miserable."

"Why?" was the only response she could squeeze out.

"Because," Rosalie sighed. "Because we were wrong. I see that now. What you and Edward have is real, and I'm sorry I didn't believe you for so long."

"Well, it's not as though I gave you much reason to believe me," Bella admitted. "After all, it _was_ my fault that I started getting to know him under false pretenses."

"True," she conceded, "but like I said before, things are different now. I'm just sorry it's taken me so long to see it."

"As long as we're being honest, I think I have some apologies to make as well," Bella confessed, looking her straight in the eye. "Rosalie, I am so sorry about everything I did to you when you first moved here. I was cruel for no reason, and I spread rumors about you that you didn't deserve. I was so jealous of you that I acted completely spiteful. I'm sorry that I put you through that."

Rosalie watched her uncertainly for a moment. Then, "I'll forgive you if you forgive me?"

"Well, I think I may be getting the better end of the deal, but sure." The girls shook hands, each smiling at their new truce.

When they rejoined the boys, they were still smiling as they set down the drinks and snacks. The brothers regarded them speculatively, wondering what exactly had happened in the kitchen.

Bella snuggled into Edward's shoulder, whispering an annotated summary of their conversation. Edward held onto her tightly, glad that the chasm was finally being breached between Bella and his brother.

They two couples spent the rest of the afternoon together, talking and playing games. Rosalie kept sending pointed looks at Emmett, prompting him to make his own appeal.

"But Rosie," he whined when they were alone, "why do I need to apologize when you've already done it for us?"

"I'm not doing your dirty work for you," she huffed. "I apologized for my part, now you need to do yours."

"Fine," he grumbled.

Emmett waited until he and Bella were alone before starting his apology.

"So, Bella, I'm, uh, sorry about what happened, or whatever."

Bella smiled at his discomfort. "No problem, Emmett. You were looking out for your brother. I get that."

Emmett looked at her in shock. "Seriously? That easy?" Then he looked at her speculatively. "Why?"

"Well," Bella began counting off her reasons with her fingers. "For one, you were trying to look out for your brother. Two, I know I deserved most of it; and three, I probably would have done the same thing in your place. So, as long as you can forgive me for the stupid choices I've made, I have no right to withhold my own forgiveness. Now, let's get back to the others before one of us starts getting all mushy."

Emmett gratefully accepted her escape out of the awkward discussion, following her back to the main room that held Edward and Rosalie.

*****

The remainder of the school year passed pleasantly and alarmingly fast. Bella was at the Cullen house nearly every day after school, along with Alice and Jasper more often than not. Although there had been initial awkwardness with Emmett and Rosalie, it had dissipated soon enough after all of the apologies had been made. By spring break, the girls had bonded enough that they spent an entire weekend shopping together, leaving the boys behind to amuse themselves. From that point on, the three were inseparable, much to the occasional chagrin of their other halves.

When it came time for college decisions to be made, Edward and Bella were delighted that they had both applied, and been accepted, into some of the same schools. It was a simple decision to decide to go to the University of Washington, as it was where Emmett and Rosalie were also planning to attend. Jasper and Alice were both planning on attending a school in Canada, but they promised to visit as often as possible.

The day of graduation had proved to be an emotional one all around. It was the end of an era that, while it had been miserable at times, had brought each to the one they loved, and was therefore worthwhile. By mutual consent, the evening was spent with each couple going off for alone time.

It was unsurprising to Bella that Edward had chosen to take her to their meadow on their last night as high schoolers. They had only come to the place a few times, yet each occurrence marked a significant part of their relationship. She had an intuition that this night would be no different.

Once they arrived, Edward was content to simply hold her and discuss the trivialities of the day. Who had cried the most, who should have given the valedictorian speech, the various schools their peers were headed towards. All of it danced around his main objective, but Bella didn't mind. Resting in his arms was far too pleasant to want the experience rushed.

As the conversation tapered off, Edward became very still. Sensing they were approaching the real purpose for their night, she waited quietly, allowing him to compose his thoughts.

"Bella," he started, turning towards her, "I know that we've had out tough times. We've seen the worst in each other, but I think we've seen the best in each other as well. I know that we drive each other crazy at times, but I need some craziness in my life. Before you, I didn't know what it meant to live. I didn't know what it meant to love. You make me want to be a man, someone worthy of your love."

Tears obstructed her vision so that she nearly missed the box he pulled out from his pocket.

"I love you, Isabella Swan," he continued. "And I'll continue to love you as long as I draw breath, because you are like air to me. I need you like I need air to breathe. Now, I'm not asking you to marry me, not yet. I think we both have some growing up to do before we get to that point, but I _am_ asking you to think about it. This ring is a promise of my love. I promise to love you and be with you for as long as you let me."

"As long as I let you?" she repeated in a shaky voice. "I'm afraid that's going to be a very long time."

"I'm counting on it," he smiled, slipping the ring on her hand as he sealed his promise with a tender kiss.

**AN Well, we've reached the end, folks. All that is left now is an epilogue, which will be up in a few days. Thanks you so much for your support (and patience the last few months!) Some of you may know that FTLOE made it to the top 5 of the Indie Twific Awards for best Love Triangle. I would have told you earlier, but I had no idea the story was even nominated until after the last chapter, and this chapter was stubborn in coming. Thank you to whoever nominated me, and to anyone who voted.**

**As always, thanks to DragonsExist for the encouragement and support throughout the making of this and previous chapters. **


	23. Epilogue

**For the Love of Emmett**

**Epilogue**

Bella's fingers were intertwined with Edward's as the explored the campus that was to be their home for the next four years. It had really happened, and they were finally here. True, the mandatory orientation had proved to be exceedingly dull, but the knowledge that the parents would be leaving tomorrow, leaving her to experience the next stage of life with Edward, resisted anything that might dampen her enthusiasm.

Presently, Edward was intent on memorizing the layout of the campus so that he would not need to use a map during the next day. This resulted in Bella being dragged all over as he sought out possible shortcuts and building locations. Fortunately for him, she was content simply being near him, regardless of how obsessive he could be at times.

By the time they had made a complete circuit around the campus, Bella was ready for a break. Leaving Edward to peruse the signs and notices on the large bulletin board outside one of the buildings, she excused herself to the ladies' room.

As she was checking her clothes and hair, she overheard two girls giggling as they pushed through the door.

"Oh my God, did you see how cute he was?"

"I know, right? Seriously hot. The hair, oh my God, the hair!"

"Did you see his face when we started talking to him? It was so cute, he was so flustered."

"Yeah, he's totally into me."

"Whatever, he was staring at me the whole time. So do you think he has a girlfriend?"

"If he does, she's about to get replaced," the blonde giggler answered confidently.

"Oh, you mean by me? Aw, thanks, sweetie," replied the redhead.

Bella left them to their squabbling, amused by how their ridiculousness reminded her of whom she had once been. Glancing around, she saw Edward standing where she had left him.

"Hey stranger," she murmured, winding her arm around his waist and stretching up to kiss his cheek.

"Hey! You'll never believe what happened. These two girls came up while I was waiting, and they started looking at the board with me. Then, the next thing I know, they start asking me all sorts of questions, like they think I've been coming here for awhile. How cool is that! I'm totally pulling off the whole college look. What do you think? Impressed?"

"Always," she smiled, rewarding him with some minor 'groveling.'

"Oh, there they are!" he continued happily, pointing towards the two girls Bella had just seen in the restroom. The girls waved brazenly, as if undeterred by the fact that Bella was firmly wound around his body. Bella frowned at them, remembering how they had been planning to get _her_ boyfriend by any means necessary.

Wordlessly, she stared down the two schemers. _Let them scheme. I know there's nothing they can do. It's a bit sad actually. They have no idea who they're dealing with._ The last thought curled her lips as she tugged Edward past them. She thought she might have heard the start of a plan from them as they walked past.

_Game on, chickadees. Game on._

**AN Well, there you have it, the last installment of FTLOE. Thank you to everyone who has been following my crazy story. I never expected the support that you, my beautiful readers, have offered. I do have quite a few other stories up my sleeve if you are interested in more stories from me. My latest story is called Not What You Think. There will be plenty of confusion and deception to satisfy all your angsty needs! Check it out! Chapter one is already posted. Peace!**


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